Safar is Beirut’s bilingual (Arabic-English) and biannual independent visual and design culture magazine, providing a window into cultural production in the Middle East. Born from a need for publications on contemporary design, critical investigation, thinking, and experimentation in the region, Safar invites designers, writers, thinkers and other creatives to respond to a set theme. It is the brainchild of Maya Moumne and Hatem Imam, the founders of the graphic design and art direction agency Studio Safar.
In the fifth issue, Migrations, Mekdes Yilma and Tsigereda Brihanu discuss the realities, challenges, and dangers faced by migrant domestic workers in Lebanon and their work to end an oppressive system; Miranda July shares three short stories from her collection No One Belongs Here More than You; Elia Suleiman talks about identification with the globalized Palestine and his latest film, It Must be Heaven; Mazen Kerbaj illustrates his daily attempts to learn German; Steven Heller discusses how to shift the design history discourse and his experiences with Impostor syndrome; and more.