Type and Politics

Finkenau, Riso Yeah!

04. Apr 2023

Der erste Workshop unseres Semesters, an dem wir teilnehmen durften, war der Workshop ‹Type & Politics›, konzipiert und angeleitet von der Designerin Golnar Kat Rahmani. Zu Beginn gab uns Golnar sehr spannenden Input zu arabischer und persischer Typografie und vermittelte uns die Beweggründe für ihre Arbeit. Ihr Ziel ist es, mit diesem Workshop arabische und persische Schrift von ideologischen Zuschreibungen in unserer westlichen Gesellschaft zu befreien.

Golar Kat Ramani sagt über ihr Workshopkonzept ‹Type & Politics› folgendes: «Unlike when spotting Chinese letters Arabic Type tends to evoke emotions these days. Letters itself as an abstract writing system are not capable of this. More than ever our perceptions are being influenced by social, political and cultural tensions. The rise of islamic terrorism turning into the No. 1 public enemy of western culture, political instabilities and wars in the Middle East, religious conflicts in daily western life, the increase of Islamophobia, recent heavy rotation news coverage of the IS flag … All these parameters don’t let Arabic type just appear strange and exotic but rather provoke bad feelings and marginalise its cultural value. Our Goal is to decrease those negative connotations practically by learning and understanding basic principles of Arabic Type and creating artworks, ultimately adding curiosity, aesthetics, joy and intercultural friendship to its shattered image in western society.»