ARABIC
LETTER
LAB

2022

IN THIS BOOK, APTLY TITLED "PLAY WITH FIRE", WE WANTED TO CREATE A PUBLICATION THAT ENCOMPASSES THREE STAGES OF FIRE; WARMTH, SPARKS & LIGHT.

WE BEGIN WITH A WARM WELCOME OF DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THREE OF THE LAB'S EXPERTS, AS WELL AS TWO CONVERSATIONS WITH GUEST EXPERTS. WE HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT THE ARABIC LETTER, ITS VARIANT PRACTICES, STARTING POINT AND CONTEMPORARY STATUS. MOREOVER, WE TAPPED INTO TOPICS ABOUT THE VALUE OF EXPERIMENTALISM, LEARNING AND UNLEARNING IN DESIGN EDUCATION, LOCAL COMMUNITIES VS. GLOBAL STANDARDS OF DESIGN, DESIGN RESEARCH AND MORE. ADDITIONALLY, WE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE 13 PARTICIPANTS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR HOPES, DREAMS AND AMBITIONS.

WE THEN EXPLORE A DOCUMENTATION OF THE LAB'S WORKSHOP PROCESS, TURNING THE IGNITION FOR SPARKS TO FLY AS WE SEEK FOR INSPIRATION THROUGH VISITS, TOURS AND ARCHIVE DIGGING (WE DO PROMISE HUSSEIN ALAZAAT AND THE LIBRARY OF JORDAN NATIONAL GALLERY OF FINE ARTS THAT WE HAVEN'T STOLEN ANY OF THEIR TREASURES), BRAINSTORM INDIVIDUALLY AND IN GROUPS TO COME UP WITH IDEAS FOR WHAT WE WANT TO DO, THEN WORKING TIRELESSLY IN NOT JUST CREATING LETTERS, BUT WORKING WRITING SYSTEMS. ALL IN THE HOPES OF CREATING 13 NEW, EXPERIMENTAL, SENTIMENTAL OR JUST ABSOLUTELY MENTAL ARABIC TYPEFACES.

WE FINALLY GO INTO THE GLOWING SHOWCASE WITH A PEEK INTO THE EXHIBITION HELD AT EYEN'S SPACE IN AMMAN FEATURING A LARGER-THAN-LIFE DISPLAY OF THE TYPOGRAPHIC INSTALLATIONS. THE SHOWCASE ALSO FEATURES THE SPECIMENS OF THE 13 EXPERIMENTAL ARABIC TYPEFACES THAT WERE INSPIRED FROM THE URBAN LANDSCAPE, FOLKTALES, TRADITIONAL FORMS, SPECULATIVE DESIGN, SPACE, OPTICAL ILLUSIONS, CURSED CHILDHOODS, GEOLOGY, ARABIC POETRY, FRUITS, SUN CYCLES, MOTION, WEAPONS, PHYSICS AND MORE!