Conference and Workshop: Shifting Scripts

The conference “Shifting Scripts: Contemporary Arabic and Persian Graphic Design” examines Arabic and Persian typographic design from SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) and its diasporas within the broader academic framework of script studies. Organized by the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) at the University of Hamburg, the event is held in conjunction with the exhibition “Inner Structures – Outer Rhythms: Contemporary Arab and Persian Graphic Design”, currently on view at MK&G.

Focusing on typography as a script-based practice, this conference explores the intersections of Arabic and Persian graphic design with cultural, political, and artistic narratives. It provides a unique platform for engaging with Arabic and Persian script from both academic and design perspectives. Additionally, the conference explores how contemporary graphic design can be analyzed and contextualized within the broader fields of design research and the humanities, with a particular focus on the SWANA region.