Type Fusion art exhibition heralds Modern East

Initiated by Dubai based branding consultancy Zaman, Modern East is a platform aimed at involving individuals or groups of people in research and discussion of the various dimensions of Eastern culture with the purpose of incorporating them in modern life. The vision of Modern East is to inspire positive changes in business concepts and social behaviour in the region or abroad and, eventually, improve the way people live and do business.

The Arabic/English Type Fusion exhibition shows the work of graphic design students from the Visual Communication Department at the American University in Dubai, under the guidance of Professor Huda AbiFares, author of a highly acclaimed book on Arabic Typography.

The 12 art pieces of type fusion on display are visual experimentations, each integrating two or more letters from the Arabic and Latin alphabets. The compositions work as symbolic expressions of the interaction between Eastern and Western cultures and combine traditional and contemporary graphic styles.

Zaman has included the works of the exhibition in an exclusive desk top calendar, which will be sent to clients and select individuals as invitations to join the Modern East debate.

"The idea of the Type Fusion Exhibition came from the realities of the business world today and the emphasis on the duality of Arabic and English languages in the region", said Grace Yacoub, Founder and CEO of Zaman and initiator of the Modern East idea.

"The students were chosen because they represent tomorrow's professional designers and brand consultants."

The Type Fusion exhibition is a first of a series of cultural events, seminars and debates which will take place within the Modern East movement.

According to Yacoub, Modern East will reach out to designers, architects, urban planners, branding and communication specialists, municipal and cultural regulators, and the business community at large.

It will seek contribution and support from broader audiences like historians, art teachers, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and the media.

"The exhibition will be followed by an invitation to a seminar that addresses the legal and practical issues of using Arabic/English in marketing materials, signage and media, and the aesthetic balance that could be achieved between the two languages in view of the diversity of our audiences and the need to preserve the Arabic heritage" Yacoub added.