The Transregional Illustrated magazine al-‘Arabi: Knowledge Production and Cultural Imaginations in the 1950s and 1960s

Hindelang, Laura; Bettina, Gräf (2022). The Transregional Illustrated magazine al-‘Arabi: Knowledge Production and Cultural Imaginations in the 1950s and 1960s. Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, 15(3), pp. 301-328. Brill

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This article investigates the transregional cultural magazine al-‘Arabi during the late 1950s and the 1960s under its first editor, the Egyptian scientist Ahmad Zaki. Founded in December 1958 in Kuwait, the magazine’s establishment and its sociocultural and political agenda are reconstructed in the context of Kuwait’s cultural diplomacy and pan-Arabism during decolonization and early Cold War politics. Al-‘Arabi offered timely discussions on science, literature, gender, politics and Arab cities and readily embraced color photography for illustrations as a way of stimulating transnational understanding in times of substantial change in the region. Consequently, an analysis of al-‘Arabi provides insights into historical strategies for re-imagining the region from within. Overall, the magazine can be situated in a long-standing tradition of Arab printing and publishing, while also being part of a global illustrated magazine culture. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the article combines archival research and interviews with the media-historical and art-historical analysis of text, image and graphic design.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History > History of Architecture and Historic Monuments 06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History
UniBE Contributor:	Hindelang, Laura
Subjects:	700 Arts 700 Arts > 720 Architecture 700 Arts > 740 Drawing & decorative arts 700 Arts > 760 Graphic arts 700 Arts > 770 Photography & computer art
ISSN:	1873-9865
Publisher:	Brill
Language:	English
Submitter:	Laura Katharina Hindelang
Date Deposited:	01 Mar 2022 09:55
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 16:08
Additional Information:	These authors contributed equally to this work
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/165485