ISType 2022 – Mukaddeme: Arabic Typography: History and Practice

In association with Sabancı University and Reading University, The Sakıp Sabancı Museum hosted the seventh international ISType conference, held between November 5-7 this year. The conference program held at the Seed in the Sakıp Sabancı Museum gathered many academicians who are experts in their fields.

Attended by designers and researchers interested in Arabic letter typography, as well as graphic artists and typographers designing in various alphabets; the topic of this year's conference was inspired by the book titled Arabic Typography: History and Practice, which contributes to the typography field by gathering historical research with contemporary design. Parts of the book analysing the culture of calligraphy were based on the works in the Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

Held with the support of Google, Darden Studio, Typetogether and Glyphs, the speakers of the conference were the authors of the book Arabic Typography: History and Practice, as well as historians and calligraphy experts working on Arabic letter typography, a field that brings together different perspectives from design, research and interdisciplinary practices.

Sabancı University Faculty Member Onur Yazıcıgil, who has undertaken the organization of ISType Conferences since its inception; has programmed, directed and contributed to this year’s conference, which began with the opening speech of Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dean Prof. Meltem Mufti Baç. The first day of the conference included presentations by Reading University’s Typography Professor Gerry Leonidas, typographer and historian Titus Nemeth; Orlin Sabev, who is a professor of history at the Institute for Balkan Studies and Center of Thrachology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, typeface designer and researcher Emanuela Conidi, Sabancı University Faculty Member Onur Yazıcıgil, Reading University Lecturer Borna Izadpanah, Özyeğin University Faculty Member Özlem Özkal, linguist Thomas Milo and Sakıp Sabancı Museum’s Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection Manager Ayşe Aldemir. The program was completed with a tour of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum’s Calligraphy Collection.

In the last two days of the event, Reading University Lecturer Borna Izadpanah and typeface designer Rainer Scheichelbauer held a workshop focusing on Arabic script-type design to improve the practice and knowledge of the participants and provide them with interesting insights.

Detailed information about the event can be found at istype.com