{"id":7422,"date":"2023-07-03T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.library.mcgill.ca\/islamicstudieslibrary\/?p=7422"},"modified":"2024-01-17T11:06:52","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T16:06:52","slug":"exhibit-archival-alliance-discovering-arabic-book-covers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.mcgill.ca\/islamicstudieslibrary\/exhibit-archival-alliance-discovering-arabic-book-covers\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncovering Arabic Book covers through Collaboration. Exhibition | Archival Alliance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the emergence of new ideas and projects at the McGill Islamic Studies Library (ISL). One such example is our collaboration with the Arabic Design Archive (ADA) which started in the middle of the pandemic. Originally, the ISL committed to feed the digital archives with scans of book cover from its collections. As time passed, both parties decided to create a joint exhibition titled Archival Alliance: Discovering Arabic Book Covers<\/em> that was displayed in the Islamic Studies Library from September 15th<\/sup> to December 15th<\/sup>, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Archival Alliance: Discovering Arabic Book Covers exhibition seeks to highlight and broaden the concept of the histories of graphic design beyond Western contributions to present the wealth of design work produced in the Arab World [\u2026.], the exhibit [walked] visitors through the history of Arabic books covers design between 1970 and 2000.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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In early 2020, Moe Elhossieny, Egyptian designer, practitioner historian and researcher, started an archiving project that developed later into the digital Arabic Design Archive<\/a>. ADA is a non-profit initiative aiming to facilitate knowledge production about Arabic design and its historical context by collecting, digitizing, and making available relevant materials; and to create a digital archive serving both for inspirational and scholarly purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve his goal, Elhossieny began to collect Arabic book covers designs from various collections crowdsourcing stored them in their repository, and posted the most interesting ones on the ADA Instagram account<\/a>. This is where our former colleague, Mrs. Samah Kasha, learned about the project and contacted Moe Elhossieny to offer our contribution by sending a monthly batch of Arabic book covers\u2019 scans from the Islamic studies Library collection. The collaboration started officially in the Winter of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between January 2021 and January 2023, the ISL sent the digital copies of 250 book covers to the ADA archive across a wide range of subjects. Book covers were selected based on their date of publication (to comply with copyright requirements) as well as design and style including typography, graphic design, illustration, and calligraphy. The ADA included these images to their repository and posted some of them (when copyright allowed) on their Instagram account: @thearabicdesignarchive<\/a>. Our materials have been tagged \u201cCollection of @mcgillislamiclibrary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of book covers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While the Arabic Design Archives was growing and diversifying, the ISL relationship with them tightened, and we suggested expanding the collaboration: a jointly curated exhibition seemed like a good way to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the restrictions imposed on everyone by the COVID pandemic, The Archival Alliance: Discovering Arabic Book Covers<\/em> exhibition was developed in a hybrid format including both a physical display and a digital component. The virtual part of the exhibition consisted in a touch table exhibit that offered visitors a unique interactive digital experience. The physical display featured books from the ISL collection, and the digital display gave access to book covers from the ADA archive.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Physical display in the ISL \u2013 Photos: Lauren Goldman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Physical display in the ISL \u2013 Photos: Lauren Goldman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Physical display in the ISL \u2013 Photos: Lauren Goldman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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To incorporate the digital aspect of the exhibition, we asked our colleague Gregory Houston, ROAAr (Rare & Special Collections, Osler, Art, and Archives) Digitization Administrator for help. His expertise in developing touch table experience combined with Moe Elhossieny\u2019s expertise in design resulted in a colorful and engaging touch table exhibit, showcasing books covers, animated clips, documentary videos, illustrated pages presenting the narrative of the exhibition, historical photographs, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Touch Table experience \u2013 Video capture: Ghazaleh Ghanavizchian\u00a0\u2013 Featuring: Samira Meshkin (Senior Library Clerk at the Islamic Studies Library)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Animated book cover clip created by Moe Elhosseini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The topics covered and the materials included in the The Archival Alliance: Discovering Arabic Book Covers<\/em> exhibition were identified and selected over the course of several meetings. If more than 500 ISL book covers were scanned and sent to the ADA during our two years-long collaboration, only 20 of them were chosen for the physical display. While selecting the book covers, we realized that three artists had played an important role in designing book covers in the 20th<\/sup> century: Hilmi El-Tuni, Mohieddine Ellabbad and Bahgat Osman. With materials gathered for his personal research and the Arabic Design Archives, Moe Elhossieny was able to create documentary-style videos highlighting the work of the three featured artists (video1, 2 and 3). These videos were available for watching on the touch table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bahgat Osman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Hilmi El-Tuni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Mohieddine Ellabbad <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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