In an era dominated by digital art and advertising, the sight of a physical graphic poster, especially an Arabic one, has become increasingly rare. However, at M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha, visitors have the unique opportunity to explore 100 remarkable pieces of the region’s graphic design culture.
The “100/100 Hundred Best Arabic Posters” exhibit is an independent platform dedicated to the celebration of Arabic Graphic Design. It highlights the rich visual art culture of the region, showcasing the evolution of script, imagery, and style by leading Arab graphic designers.
The initiative’s vision is to document the contemporary visual culture of the Arab world, aiming to inspire, connect, and educate emerging talents, academics, and professionals. By doing so, it aims to enhance the global visibility and perception of Arabic graphic design.
Every two years, the Hundred Best Arabic Posters competition invites an independent jury to select the top 100 posters. Over the past decade, four rounds of this competition have been completed, resulting in 400 winning posters chosen from over 7,400 submissions across 23 countries. This year marks the inaugural presentation of the exhibit in Qatar.
The 100 selected posters cover a variety of themes, including movie posters, exhibitions, events, poetry, alphabets, and calligraphy. The jurors for this year’s selection are Nora Aly, Lina Ghaibeh, Nassim Azarzar, Ghalia Elsrakbi, and Ali Almasri. Meanwhile, the Co-Directors of 100/100 are Jochen Braun, Ryan Vincente Lee Grees, and Regina Rammelt.
This exhibition is part of the biennial Design Doha event, which commenced in February and will run until August, taking place at various locations throughout Doha. The headline exhibition, “Arab Design Now,” curated by Rana Beiruti, stresses the rich cultural diversity and history of innovation across the Arab world, from Bilad Al Sham to the Gulf and North Africa. It celebrates this diversity while highlighting the shared values of community, co-creation, and storytelling in contemporary design.
Authors Bahia Shehab and Haytham Nawar, in their PROSE Award-winning book “A History of Arab Graphic Design,” explaiedn that Arab graphic design emerged in the early 20th century as a response to significant economic, social, and political changes in the Arab world. Although graphic design became a formally recognised genre of visual art in the region only in the 21st century, the field has yet to see extensive academic exploration.
The “100/100 Hundred Best Arabic Posters” is open to the public and will run until August 5.
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