Breath-taking scenes from Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif in this video travelogue by Lukas and Salome Augustin. They explain:
As each of us has his own impression of Afghanistan that is predominantly marked with pictures of foreign forces, explosions and terror, we were privileged to have access to capture daily life and portrait some people of Afghanistan.
We hope the pictures you know will merge with the pictures you see and will enrich your view on the country in the Hindu Kush.
Via Momentum Blog.
Arabesque 2 showcases contemporary work by young designers from the Arab world and Iran. Combining Arab type, calligraphy and modern graphic design, the presented artwork expresses the increasing cultural emancipation and modernization of the Middle East.
Supplemental texts and interviews by the editors Ben Wittner and Sascha Thoma from design studio Eps51 give background information and describe the environments in which the featured designers and artists work.
Via Page online.
This excellent video travelogue by Ruslan Fedotow lets you glimpse into Syrian life, people and land. Ruslan is a student of the Belarussian Academy of Arts.
If you like this video, be sure to check out the Egypt & Lebanon Montage by Khalid Mohtaseb.
Watch this cinematic montage of footage shot for a documentary during the summer/fall of 2009 by filmmaker Khalid Mohtaseb. The documentary was shot entirely on the canon 5D MK ll in and around Cairo and Beirut.
(Click through to YouTube to watch in HD and full screen!)
via Living Design
Stretching from west coast of northern Africa across to Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, the Arab World includes 25 countries and territories with a combined population of more than 358 million. With the Arabic language as connecting element, this expansive region features not only a deep and rich tradition of calligraphy but also in some aspects a different approach to web design.
Smashing Magazine published a very interesting article about Web Design in the Arab World including interviews with Arab web designers and an expansive showcase.
You might also be interested in checking out the other showcases:
Web Design in China
Web Design in Israel
Web Design in Russia
Web Design in The Netherlands
Web Design in Germany
Web Design in Mexico
Web Design in Ireland
Web Design in Lithuania
Here are some nice artworks based on a new Arabic typeface designed at Font Shop International headquarters in Berlin by Muiz Anwar. Muiz Anwar, born and raised in Manchester, UK, started to explore the arabic roots only after the events of 09/11 (to read the full story about the background of his work, check out the Q&A with him by Ibraheem Youssef).
Unfortunately, I couln’t find any evidence if the typeface is already finished or still under development. If you know more about it, please let me know.