News
A Language Of Image: From Manuscripts To Meta-Algorithms
From Islamic manuscripts to Blender renders, the image of the Arabic language has always been built from overlapping histories and references. The designers pushing it forward today are proving that visual history is most useful when it becomes a tool for invention rather than nostalgia, and that the archive is not a repository of finished answers
Let the Majlis Be a Majlis
The majlis has historically been associated with governance, community, hospitality, and negotiation in the Arab world. In the last few years, it has also become an aesthetic object exhibited at biennials and museums. But what happens when a social form becomes a spectacle? What does it mean when a space deemed private is put on display?
How to Survive a Gulf Summer, One Cleanse at a Time
A summer skincare edition, for the hotter months
Following Traces: Anthony Bourdain, Food, and the Politics of Travelling with Care
Anthony Bourdain arrived in Beirut in 2006 to film a food show. Two days later, Israel bombed the city. The footage, and the Emmy nomination that followed, say something uncomfortable about the Western appetite for Arab tragedy on television. On food, travel, and the difference between loving a place and consuming it
The Only Producer Who’s Ever Gotten Fairuz’s Blessing
Kanye did it. Drake did it. Madonna got sued $2.5 million for it. Only one producer has ever sampled Fairuz completely legally, and he's telling the whole story
Tawsen is Just a Chill Guy
After seven years, two labels, and one imposed silence, Moroccan artist Tawsen releases his debut comeback album Chokran, not with a grudge, but with gratitude
Ali Kazim and Zarina Beckon Us Into Their Urdu Worlds
The UAE’s inaugural exhibition dedicated to the Urdu language, curated by Hammad Nasar