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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 |
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Muslim Technicolor Design

Early da’wah material (here meaning: general any publicity that represents Muslims/Islam in some way) in the west consisted of poorly designed leaflets, often consisting of text and the odd single, haphazardly thrown in, generic image of...(take a guess, go on...) a mosque! (if not the crescent, that is). Most religious leaflets or books took on a text heavy approach, mainly due to the lack of a budget, but really it was more to do with a lack of vision.

Lack of vision means, there was no concept or idea of the need for any design or aesthetic improvement to the product or material.

On the other hand, what budget usually means is that there is no money to acquire the services of a designer.

If there was any vision it meant that it could be done at home, with a home printer of course. With MS Publisher, PowerPoint or Word at their disposal the computer-savvy nephew can take on the world of designers and beat them, and only at the tender age of 11. He rolls up his sleeves, copies and pastes images off the internet, blows them up in paint and slaps them into publisher and voila you have a stunning flyer design for the local masjid, in full Technicolor.

This began to change as the newer generations of fashion-conscious, style-driven western Muslims grew up with (M)TV to feast their eyes on, acquiring a taste for the expensive, the designer label and the ergonomi-cool products. They knew that good design meant a good image. It meant to give a good impression, reflect a sense of direction, confidence and be recognised as modern and mainstream. But what this energy and vitality still lacks is budget, yes, the empty money pot that simply never gets a fill (mainly due to the fact that everyone forgets to budget for design) – or the pot does not exist at all in the first place.

So we go back to publisher and the wonderful world of clipart.

Or worse, we encounter the do-it-yourself dude. This is the really scary one, he has acquired Photoshop or Corel Draw from his nephew and now has decided to conquer the world of designers by pulling together a fantastic piece of flyer design, that makes Joseph’s Technicolor dream coat look like an old longhi.

Where are we going?
The Muslim community needs to realise the importance of design and aesthetics in all its publicity. It is crucial that da’wah material looks professional, up to standards people are use to and on-par with mainstream material. We are lagging behind in realising the need for good, clean presentation that communicates to the wider audience that we care about ourselves and our image. It shows we take pride in our work, in our efforts and in our da’wah.

What does it cost?
Nothing really. Yes you may need to employ the talents of qualified (someone who has had extensive experience and with a portfolio of work) designer, but the first step is realising that the need for high quality presentation – and that doesn’t cost anything. So next time you do your budgeting for programmes, seminars, events and tajweed classes, factor in some basic publicity. Even if you give the opportunity to a young design student, then maybe that would be enough to get things moving. There are tons of young Muslim design students waiting to take up any small chance to show off their creativity.

What are the standards?

Muslim da’wah publicity does not need to be tacky and home-printer output; it should be professionally printed with the end-recipient in mind. Every day we see advertising and quality publicity from mainstream products and companies, maybe we should employ their proven approach and take a little more time in our presentation.

Standards are applied and maintained by professionals, be that designers, web developers, video artists etc. They know what required do the job is and keep the publicity on-par with mainstream design styles, guidelines and quality.

I personally believe all publicity or material should be cutting edge, innovative, above ‘western’ standards, if not on-par with it. But ultimately utilising the best of technology, publicity mediums and engaging with all senses.

Designate the work to professionals

Sometimes you have organisations or projects that do have a budget, yet they insist on delegating the design work to non-designers. Far worse is the fact that they may delegate different work to volunteers or workers who have no experience in those respective areas at all. So you end up having a lawyer doing marketing, or a doctor doing public speeches. We need to move away from this mentality and utilise the growing professionals within the Muslim community who are vying for the slightest of chances. I know many professionals who have decided to not work in da’wah simply for being pushed away when they offered their professional services for free.

We have seen improvements made by Muslim owned companies/organisations who are putting (applause) efforts into presentation and I could name quite a few easily. But we need more widespread effort and recognition that our image is represented through these leaflets, posters, websites and videos. A messy cluttered website reflects a poor effort on the part of the owners, who seem to not show much care in their work. Or a badly designed leaflet gives the impression of cheap, untrustworthy and unprofessional.

We need to be seen as a community that takes pride and care in the smallest of details. It is ultimately what Islamic art is famous for. It is a show of love that we have for our effort and beliefs. We need to broaden our vision, recognise the need for professionalism in everything we do and ultimately, this cannot be stressed enough, respect each other’s copyright.


Wa Allahu ’alam


Tuesday, December 11, 2007 |
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Vikkii Church, Helsinki



Located in the Ostrobothnia region, near the campus of Helsinki University on the eastern side of Helsinki, JKMM Architects won a national competition to design the Vikkii Urban Centre. The focal point of the Centre is a church clad in aspen shingles that have turned gray since construction was completed in 2005. Throughout Europe new church design is not synonymous with modernity, so when the Parish of Helsinki approached the architects at JKMM, they welcomed the opportunity to contribute to a newly developed urban area housing approximately 13,000 residents.

More
(warning: some imagery on CoolHunter may be offensive, so tread carefully)


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I've seen quite a lot of Church architecture and I still get a feeling of 'coldness' in the space that is emcompassed by the grand design. It is as if the architecture does not retain a warmth within the space. Particularly with the above Vikkii church, I feel I could be in some gymnasium or a conference hall, rather than a holy/spiritual space.

It's proabably me just envisioning myself dropping to my hands and knees and be harshly greeted with cold wooden flooring rather than soft carpet?

On another note, where is mosque design and architecture going in the west?

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Church library or a library in a Church?

" Whoever said that reading was a religious experience was right, especially when taking a visit to Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands. " source


Although it looks very nice, its a shame that many Churches are now out of service and this Church probably didnt have a library of its own - now it is a library (better than a rave club, I have to say!). Do you think the stock the Bible, or what about the Qur'an?

Wednesday, December 05, 2007 |
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Art world awaits Turner ceremony


The winner of the £25,000 Turner Prize will be announced at the Tate Liverpool gallery later.

Actor and director Dennis Hopper will present the award, with the ceremony being held outside of London for the first time in the history of the prize.

The shortlisted artwork includes cut-up traffic cones, an artist in a bear suit and plastic lightbulbs.

Zarina Bhimji, Nathan Coley, Mike Nelson and Mark Wallinger are all in the running.

Full story

Check out the profiles here

Here are some of the works

Monday, December 03, 2007 |
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Iran Holocaust drama is a big hit


The scene is wartime Paris. Swastikas adorn the Champs Elysees.

Jackbooted Nazis are rounding up Jews for the concentration camps, while terrified Parisians look on.

It is a familiar plot for a television blockbuster. And this time the formula has been as popular as ever, drawing in massive audiences week after week.

The only difference is that this is a series made for Iranian state TV, and it has been piling up the ratings in the country whose president once questioned the very existence of the Holocaust.

full article


Saturday, December 01, 2007 |
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