Word into Art presents highlights of the contemporary art and culture emerging from the Middle East and North Africa today.The works illustrated, many published here for the first time,reflect issues of identity and politics, and the richly diverse artistic heritage of the region.

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A powerful theme running through all the works is how artists engage and experiment with the Arabic script. For some this resonates with the sacred tradition of Islam and the Qur'an. For other artists the Arabic script is an undeniable part of their cultural inheritance that influences their creativity: they may use the script to iUustrate poetry, to reinforce an Arab or Muslim identity,or to make political points. As a result these contemporary artists are inventing exciting new genres that are still unmistakably informed by their own artistic traditions.

Word into Art not only testifies to the strong calligraphic tradition of the Middle East, but also demonstrates the powerful and imaginative ways in which artists are using writing today.

Preface by H.E. Mohammacl Al Gergawi

Preface by H.E. Dr Anwar Gargash

Preface by Neil MacGregor

Acknowledgements

Foreword by Saeb Eigner

Introduction

The Arabic Script

CATALOGUE

1 A Sacred Script

2 Literature and Art

3 Deconstructing theWord

4 Identity, History and Politics

Artist Biographies

Bibliography

Photographic and Text Acknowledgements