Fully Booked Art Book Fair Dubai 2018

Fully Booked returns to Dubai Art Week and Alserkal Avenue as the only art book fair in the United Arab Emirates.
The fair serves as a platform to consider the medium of the artist book as a “multi-site”—a tactile, portable, and accessible form. This form allows for the creative and democratic dissemination of information, while simultaneously enabling peer-to-peer connections. Engaging with art books deescalates both cultural differences and the need for resources often required to purchase fine art. The intention of the fair is to foster meaningful cultural exchanges between regional and international artist publishers, as well as the cultural practitioners and visitors present in Dubai during Art Week. The art book fair features individuals, groups, collectives, artists, designers, creatives, & publishers producing and working in the mediums of printed matter, books, prints, magazines, publications, multiples, etcetera! A mail-in exhibition of printed work from around the world accompanies vendors who are present at the fair.

Fully Booked 2018 is a project presented by Misk Art Institute.

Artist & Designer Commissions

Yusef Alahmad, Curator, Huroof/حروف Graphic Design from the Middle East: Contemporary Explorations in Typography.
Yusef Alahmad is a Saudi graphic designer and artist with a MFA degree in graphic design. He is based in Washington, D.C., USA.

Shamma Buhazza, Designer Commission, PhotoTex Wall Mural & 2018 Fair Tote Bag.
Buhazza’s typographic treatment of the phrase “Halla Walla”, which roughly means “What’s up?” or “Welcome,”  translates language and slang into visual forms. Buhazza is a designer from Abu Dhabi who is currently based in Germany working as a graphic designer with Adidas.

Exhibition within Fully Booked
Huroof /  حروف  Graphic Design from the Middle East: Explorations in Contemporary Typography, Curated by Yusef Alahmad

Typography is one of the main and most important elements of graphic design. In the Middle East, typography has evolved over time from its roots as a calligraphic medium. Increased access to tools, technology, and points of inspiration has continually influenced designers and artists.
“Huroof” (in English, “Letters”) is curated to cultivate an appreciation for design and typography in and from the Middle East by showcasing contemporary work that celebrates the expressiveness and fluidity of the region’s languages. For “Huroof,” Yusef Alahmad curated typographic posters by 40 designers in a wall-length display in Alserkal Avenue, setting the stage for Fully Booked, the Dubai art book fair.

Check out the full program and list of exhibitors/vendors on the website and follow Fully Booked on Instagram.