Words with Shape and Soul

The shapes of letters, their typography, often go unnoticed, yet they carry meaning — from the most functional to the most abstract. Since Morocco is at the crossroads of several cultures, past and present, the poetry of words there is even more complex. The intricacy, intimacy and, sometimes, the simple functionality of it carries the imprint of multiple cultures co-existing across history and geography. It deserves to be noticed, talked about, written about, and dreamed about.

Words have surrounded Dina Benbrahim in multiple languages since she was three apples tall— Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Riffi, Tamazight, and others have all had sounds and accompanying shapes that were at play in her bubble. In this talk, you will travel all over Morocco and experience the cultural, social, political and economic contexts in which found typographical pieces are grounded.