URBIC – 45 SYMBOLS COMPETITION
Year: 2017Curators: Pascal Glissmann - Andreas Henrich - Olivier Arcioli - Annelie Franke - Mariko Takagi - Randa Abdel Baki
Status: Won under shifting cities category
Website: http://www.45symbols.com/symbols/portfolio/urbic-tracy-bassil/
THE COMPETITION
Globalmurmurs 2016/17 the phaistos project the challenge was to use one’s strength as a creative individual to develop a set of forty-five symbols that conveys one’s message in a specific visual language. While each symbol of the set is a discrete element, their entirety should communicate a sense of responsible global citizenship that is driven by personal agency. The open call globalmurmurs 16/17 invited submissions that explore new systems of visual notation beyond known writing systems and pictograms for these 3 categories: transforming gender – shifting cities – changing world.
Globalmurmurs 2016/17 the phaistos project the challenge was to use one’s strength as a creative individual to develop a set of forty-five symbols that conveys one’s message in a specific visual language. While each symbol of the set is a discrete element, their entirety should communicate a sense of responsible global citizenship that is driven by personal agency. The open call globalmurmurs 16/17 invited submissions that explore new systems of visual notation beyond known writing systems and pictograms for these 3 categories: transforming gender – shifting cities – changing world.
THE PROJECT
URBIC is a system that combines urban studies terminology with the Arabic language and unites them visually with their English meaning. The reason behind developing such a system is the cultural boundaries and difficulties we face in a multilingual country. For instance, Arabic is the national language of Lebanon, but people are usually educated in French or English. discussing urban issues using Arabic terminology is almost impossible. Discussing urban issues in technical terms to non-professionals poses problems, even if the language is shared. This project simplifies urban terminology so that it can reach a broader audience by following one simple guideline: the meaning of the English term is translated visually and literally through the lines that shape the Arabic equivalent term. Therefore, the universal language of visuals reconciles multiple cultural identities and brings the profession closer to its real users.
URBIC is a system that combines urban studies terminology with the Arabic language and unites them visually with their English meaning. The reason behind developing such a system is the cultural boundaries and difficulties we face in a multilingual country. For instance, Arabic is the national language of Lebanon, but people are usually educated in French or English. discussing urban issues using Arabic terminology is almost impossible. Discussing urban issues in technical terms to non-professionals poses problems, even if the language is shared. This project simplifies urban terminology so that it can reach a broader audience by following one simple guideline: the meaning of the English term is translated visually and literally through the lines that shape the Arabic equivalent term. Therefore, the universal language of visuals reconciles multiple cultural identities and brings the profession closer to its real users.
The project was introduced in a printed publication and showcased on the website and in several exhibitions around Europe.
