Introducing Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01

When Sharjah-based design studio Fikra was founded in 2006 it answered a call (well, a shout) for intelligent, creative graphic design that spoke both Arabic and English. Quickly growing to become a multidisciplinary practice that works in the fields of art direction, branding, publication design, web design and interactive, it has also physically expanded a campus featuring an exhibition space, co-working hub and cafe – a go-to destination for creative types in the United Arab Emirates.

Now Fikra is launching a new major design event, the Fikra Graphic Design Biennial, which will run at its Sharjah destination between 9th and 30th November. The idea is to foster cultural and creative exchange between the blossoming community focused around Fikra, the wider UAE and international designers and design-lovers through exhibitions, workshops and events. The biennial, its organisers hope, will become a catalyst for design thinking in the region, demonstrating creativity’s power to solve problems, spur innovation and enrich everyday life.

The inaugural edition is centred around a fictional, and tongue-in-cheek Ministry of Graphic Design, taking cues from the innovation-focused administrative structures of the UAE (such as the recently-formed Ministry of Artificial Intelligence or Ministry of Happiness). At the Ministry of Graphic Design you’ll find the Department of Graphic Optimism, the Department of Dematerialising Language, the Department of Non-Binaries, the Department of Mapping Margins, even the Department of Flying Saucers – each shedding light on different approaches to the practice.

Ahead of the event itself, we were keen to find out more about Fikra, so we turned to founder Salem Al-Qassimi to fill us in on using graphic design to inspire change in the region.

With an exciting community growing around its hub, when and why did you first have the idea to launch a biennial?

The Fikra Graphic Design Biennial is a natural response to the needs of the design scene in the region. We were working on developing some sort of platform that would address graphic design as a discipline, not only regionally, but globally. For several years we were trying to figure out what this platform would be: its frequency, its model, its aims, and when the right time would be for its inauguration. The Fikra Graphic Design Biennial was born. It was created as a serious and intellectual platform that looks into – and questions – the expanded field of graphic design and the role of graphic designers. What does “graphic design” actually denote today? And what might it mean in the future? We felt it was the right time for the region to participate and be present in the global discourse related to graphic design. Although this platform is global, it is still contextually and regionally relevant. It includes both international and regional designers and design activities. In addition to that, we think it is important to develop and promote a unique and accessible platform in the region and for the region, which provides current and relevant content for graphic design students, researchers, artists, and universities.

Many people might think of graphic design’s role as limited to branding and 2D aesthetics, but the biennial scope is much wider and more interdisciplinary – what kind of exhibitions can we expect to see that will demonstrate this?

Yes, the biennial will try to represent the various practices of graphic designers which include professional, research-based, scientific, performative, and artistic approaches to design. There are several departments in this edition of the biennial and each department – led by the curators and the artists directors — addresses a different theme and has different curatorial approaches and content.

The biennial comprises exhibitions, performances, workshops, talks, and a conference that collectively showcase an expanded view of the field of graphic design. It will question the very role of the graphic designer. This is perfect especially for the first edition of the biennial, as I would like to think of it as un-defining graphic design – challenging preconceived ideas of the discipline but providing an unexpectedly broad array of graphic design works, concepts and initiatives.

What other received ideas about graphic design and/or design in the UAE do you hope to challenge?

Design as a career path is not something that used to be taken seriously. I think this is changing slowly, especially because of government-led efforts that promote and are inclusive of design activities. However, the idea that design is “just” a hobby is still a valid concept. That being said, I would like to concentrate on “graphic design” and not only “design”, because I think it is easier to re-define or “un-define”, whereas “design” as a stand-alone word is a lot broader and has been commercialised and overused by fashion and furniture industries.

The other concept I would like to challenge is the idea that graphic design is an automated process, or that anyone can do it if they have Photoshop...

I think we are at an exciting time with graphic design, with the lines between different disciplines becoming so blurred, the question of who graphic designers are, what they can do, how they design, and who they design for are all super-interesting questions and are worth reviewing.

Do you believe that Middle Eastern graphic design has been historically excluded from global discourse? How will the biennial change that?

Yes, to some extent. I think when graphic design from the Middle East is discussed or showcased, there is a generalisation of styles and trends, and most of the time a romanticisation of specific themes or interest. More recently, there has been more attention towards Middle Eastern graphic design because of the tremendous changes the region is going through, which I think is a great opportunity for regional designers, students, researchers, and professional to take advantage of.

Given the impact of Dubai Design Week, do you think international perceptions of design and creativity in the UAE are changing?

Of course, but I don’t think that it is only the impact of Dubai Design Week (or other regional design weeks, such as Beirut Design Week or Riyadh Design Week). But I think it is a number of things and collectively they are changing perceptions of design in the UAE. That being said, the government is investing heavily in design – and arts in general — and is recognising the value of the creative industries and their global impact.

Dubai recently partnered up with IDEO and set up Palmwood. On the website it states that it is ‘a design-led movement creating new solutions for governments and organisations, developing creative capabilities in the people of the UAE, and opening up new conversations about what is possible through design’. There are more and more design-led programs and schools opening up, and more public and private initiatives that promote and look into design not only as a professional career path but also encouraging design as a way of thinking.

What (or who) are you most excited about on the programme?

I am honestly super-excited about the entire biennial, and how it challenges the status quo of graphic design as a discipline and the role of graphic designers. I am also super-excited that we are going to finally have a relevant point of reference to significant and general graphic design work (and not just typography or calligraphy). But I am mostly excited and proud that all of the head of departments at the biennial are women, the two main architects responsible for the biennial are women, Fikra’s entire team are women (except me), and two of the three artistic directors are women, and the Minister for the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (which is our strategic partner) is also a woman... This is not necessarily new to the UAE, but is for such platform and for a privately-led organisation such as ours.

We could not be more excited to share the news of this groundbreaking event. Discover what we do for Fikra Graphic Design Biennial’s over on its client page here.