I am a Berlin-based researcher and creative director specialized in research-led design with a focus on sociology, politics and investigative field work. Address: Berlin, Germany
In their motherland or in exile, Arab (both Muslim and Christian) scholars not only cooperated wi... more In their motherland or in exile, Arab (both Muslim and Christian) scholars not only cooperated with Western scholars in producing ‘Orientalist’ knowledge, but were also intrinsically affected by colonial perception due to the complex foreign education systems that developed and validated their persecution of the self and thus formed their colonised mind.
In my intended research project, I will seek to demonstrate how Arab Muslim encounters with Orientalism in the colonial era have shaped the colonised mind in both public and academic domains. I will advance this thesis on the basis of research that focuses on mediating Islam through the lens of academic decolonization, providing analytical tools for a fair representation of Arab-Muslim scholarship and a responsible, accountable digitization of literary knowledge.
With the rise of social media channels and the critical democratisation of mediation in the last ... more With the rise of social media channels and the critical democratisation of mediation in the last decade, new terms have invaded the media discourse on terror and extremism. In an absurd yet influential manner, extremist groups are now in direct connection with their audiences, expanding their ideologies all over the internet. When analysing this discourse, traditional media is involved in content and messaging, leaving aside an entire branding strategy that communicates nostalgia, terror and violence, and that seeks mobilisation. This virtual Islamist 'brand' can no longer be ignored.
The last decade has marked social media’s influential role in challenging the established centers... more The last decade has marked social media’s influential role in challenging the established centers of knowledge at a global level. Particularly within oppressive political systems, the question arises whether democratised digital mediation, in its creation of platforms for self-expression and the disruption of regimes in times of p olitical turmoil, has backfired. Videos of all sorts continue to invade the digital sphere, offering an opportunity for the assertion and representation of the self to different audiences. However, with the rise of ‘digital freedom’ came the rise of ‘digital extremism’ in forms of anonymous, and orchestrated, online religious encounters.
How can designers depict a national identity when the national identity itself is in question? It... more How can designers depict a national identity when the national identity itself is in question? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Arab world seems to be dealing with an ‘optional’ identity; one that churns and morphs to the whim of the moment. But what is Arab identity? Shaped by Orientalism, moulded by colonialism and impacted by globalism, a unified Arab identity does not exist. As this paper traces the evolution of Self-Orientalism across a variety of communication channels, a prism of individual distorted representations emerge, squeezed by ‘othering’ into a collective dynamic, which Arab designers themselves, seemingly unaware, are nurturing.
The research focuses on the designer’s role and responsibility in depicting a cultural identity, in a world where Hyper-Nationalism is finding new roots in politics and media. Visual communicators have played an extensive role in the identity portrayal of the Arab world, that mirrors in many ways what Orientalists previously did in literature, cinema and academia. The paper highlights problematic design approaches visualizing the Arab world as an exotic place of mystery, erotica and stereotypes. Productions as such are leading a self-Orientalist reductionist wave in design and altering contextual realities.
In their motherland or in exile, Arab (both Muslim and Christian) scholars not only cooperated wi... more In their motherland or in exile, Arab (both Muslim and Christian) scholars not only cooperated with Western scholars in producing ‘Orientalist’ knowledge, but were also intrinsically affected by colonial perception due to the complex foreign education systems that developed and validated their persecution of the self and thus formed their colonised mind.
In my intended research project, I will seek to demonstrate how Arab Muslim encounters with Orientalism in the colonial era have shaped the colonised mind in both public and academic domains. I will advance this thesis on the basis of research that focuses on mediating Islam through the lens of academic decolonization, providing analytical tools for a fair representation of Arab-Muslim scholarship and a responsible, accountable digitization of literary knowledge.
With the rise of social media channels and the critical democratisation of mediation in the last ... more With the rise of social media channels and the critical democratisation of mediation in the last decade, new terms have invaded the media discourse on terror and extremism. In an absurd yet influential manner, extremist groups are now in direct connection with their audiences, expanding their ideologies all over the internet. When analysing this discourse, traditional media is involved in content and messaging, leaving aside an entire branding strategy that communicates nostalgia, terror and violence, and that seeks mobilisation. This virtual Islamist 'brand' can no longer be ignored.
The last decade has marked social media’s influential role in challenging the established centers... more The last decade has marked social media’s influential role in challenging the established centers of knowledge at a global level. Particularly within oppressive political systems, the question arises whether democratised digital mediation, in its creation of platforms for self-expression and the disruption of regimes in times of p olitical turmoil, has backfired. Videos of all sorts continue to invade the digital sphere, offering an opportunity for the assertion and representation of the self to different audiences. However, with the rise of ‘digital freedom’ came the rise of ‘digital extremism’ in forms of anonymous, and orchestrated, online religious encounters.
How can designers depict a national identity when the national identity itself is in question? It... more How can designers depict a national identity when the national identity itself is in question? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Arab world seems to be dealing with an ‘optional’ identity; one that churns and morphs to the whim of the moment. But what is Arab identity? Shaped by Orientalism, moulded by colonialism and impacted by globalism, a unified Arab identity does not exist. As this paper traces the evolution of Self-Orientalism across a variety of communication channels, a prism of individual distorted representations emerge, squeezed by ‘othering’ into a collective dynamic, which Arab designers themselves, seemingly unaware, are nurturing.
The research focuses on the designer’s role and responsibility in depicting a cultural identity, in a world where Hyper-Nationalism is finding new roots in politics and media. Visual communicators have played an extensive role in the identity portrayal of the Arab world, that mirrors in many ways what Orientalists previously did in literature, cinema and academia. The paper highlights problematic design approaches visualizing the Arab world as an exotic place of mystery, erotica and stereotypes. Productions as such are leading a self-Orientalist reductionist wave in design and altering contextual realities.
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Papers by Imad Gebrayel
In my intended research project, I will seek to demonstrate how Arab Muslim encounters with Orientalism in the colonial era have shaped the colonised mind in both public and academic domains. I will advance this thesis on the basis of research that focuses on mediating Islam through the lens of academic decolonization, providing analytical tools for a fair representation of Arab-Muslim scholarship and a responsible, accountable digitization of literary knowledge.
The research focuses on the designer’s role and responsibility in depicting a cultural identity, in a world where Hyper-Nationalism is finding new roots in politics and media. Visual communicators have played an extensive role in the identity portrayal of the Arab world, that mirrors in many ways what Orientalists previously did in literature, cinema and academia. The paper highlights problematic design approaches visualizing the Arab world as an exotic place of mystery, erotica and stereotypes. Productions as such are leading a self-Orientalist reductionist wave in design and altering contextual realities.
In my intended research project, I will seek to demonstrate how Arab Muslim encounters with Orientalism in the colonial era have shaped the colonised mind in both public and academic domains. I will advance this thesis on the basis of research that focuses on mediating Islam through the lens of academic decolonization, providing analytical tools for a fair representation of Arab-Muslim scholarship and a responsible, accountable digitization of literary knowledge.
The research focuses on the designer’s role and responsibility in depicting a cultural identity, in a world where Hyper-Nationalism is finding new roots in politics and media. Visual communicators have played an extensive role in the identity portrayal of the Arab world, that mirrors in many ways what Orientalists previously did in literature, cinema and academia. The paper highlights problematic design approaches visualizing the Arab world as an exotic place of mystery, erotica and stereotypes. Productions as such are leading a self-Orientalist reductionist wave in design and altering contextual realities.