Studio Safar

Hatem Imam is a visual artist and graphic designer. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut (AUB), and an MA in Fine Arts from the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury, UK. He is the co-founder and creative director of Studio Safar, editor-in-chief of “Journal Safar,” a co-founder of “Samandal” Annihaya record label. He has been teaching at the department of Architecture and Graphic Design at AUB since 2007.

Maya Moumne is a Beirut-based creative director. She is the co-founder of Studio Safar, a dynamic and exploratory design and art direction studio whose name evokes just that: Safar being Arabic for travel. She is also the creative director and co-founder of “Journal Safar,” Beirut’s independent visual and design culture magazine. Her work spans different media and design frameworks such as publications, exhibitions, album artwork, editorial photoshoots and communication strategies. Her work has been displayed in various cities in Europe and the Middle East, and featured in magazines such as “It’s Nice That,” “Monocle,” “Vogue,” “Brownbook,”“Harper’s Bazaar” Japan, and various others.

X and Y enter a bar

Public houses are notorious settings for grand happenings. Any two characters entering a bar is a classic formula for a good story. Studio Safar proposes to curate casual encounters between unsuspecting characters in the context of existing or set-up bars in Αthens and Beirut. The premise is that great ideas and genuine cultural exchange often take place over the narrow threshold of the bar, in the intimate and volatile space between host and guest. Replacing the trusted bartender/maid by an unlikely intruder is the backdrop of their unfolding performance. The first research visit invites a selection of creatives to show Αthens to Studio Safar, one bar a night. Their choices will betray more about their relationship with the city than any description or map.