Dezeen promotion: a new magazine called Alef focussing on cultural topics in the Middle East will launch at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London this Saturday (+ movie).
Articles in both Arabic and English will cover art, craft, interiors and food, plus other creative and cultural topics from across the Gulf region.
The bi-monthly publication was founded by editor-in-chief Jack Thomas Taylor and is edited by Luma Bashmi, both based in Doha, Qatar.
Issues will be distributed globally and available to purchase at independent newsagents. Visit the Alef Magazine website to find out more and set up a subscription.
The public launch of the magazine will take place on 6 July at this year's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens, in conjunction with Arab contemporary art fair Shubbak Festival and Qatar UK 2013 Year of Culture.
Throughout the day, a series of speeches, talks and installations will explore London's connections with the Arab world. The event is open to everyone and free to attend.
Images shown here feature in the first issue of the magazine.
The editors sent us the following information:
Alef is an independent magazine published out of Doha, Qatar. Printed bi-monthly in a bilingual format (English and Arabic) the magazine focuses on cultural topics that are indigenous to the Gulf region.
Alef magazine is for anyone who has a vested interest in the culture movement in the Gulf region. Whether you are an artist or a doctor, a journalist or a tourist, Alef aims to educate both residents and visitors from all walks of life.
In partnership with the London Mayor’s Shubbak Festival, a biannual event that celebrates Arab contemporary art, and Qatar UK, the 2013 bilateral celebration, Alef magazine will be launched on 6th July at the new Serpentine Pavilion, to an audience who has a vested interest in Arab art and culture.
Alef will be launched during an event co-hosted by London’s Serpentine Gallery and Qatar’s Mathaf. The event will explore London and its connections with the Arab world through discussions, oral histories and interactive environments. The event will be open to the public.
The magazine is being supported with a foreword by HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, member of the Qatari royal family, and with a letter by The Lord Mayor of London, Mr Boris Johnson.
Alef is an international magazine. From the first issue Alef will be distributed on the global newsstand and in independent newsagents around the world. In order to reach its target audience Alef will be available via retail, subscription, and complimentary through strategic partnerships.