The Middle East Archive
One of ElKoury's more famous images of a man holding a radio player adorns the cover setting the tone for what is to come. Each country is prefaced by a time stretching from 1980 to 1997. Baddar speaks to ElKoury's lens and the intention behind this selection of images, "He has captured the region through this very attentive lens that I, I didn't see from a lot of other photographers. He had this very simple, like very sincere and uplifting, and very nicely and positively way of portraying that region."
Spearheading the project's promotional release and creation process, art director and editor Julia Bohan Morliere helped make the book possible. In addition, editor Yasmine Mattoussi, text translator Mourad Nusair, and designer Daleen Saah contributed to a tangible archive speaking to a region overshadowed by political debate. Utilizing their growing social platforms, Omar Houssrey developed design-specific promotional exposure for the release.
The Middle East Archive's first physical project is more than a coffee table book but a piece of history that shows the world a more honest narrative of the region, avoiding exhausting stereotypes and traumatizing storylines. "These pictures are very cool because they just show you a very, very different side, like a guy on a very crowded street or on a horse, people just chilling close to the Dead Sea, just sitting on a car it's very, very peaceful" Baddar explains. While media still circulates death, grief, and corruption headlines, the Middle East Archive provides glimpses of relief, circumventing monoliths while representing vast cultures.
Check out the Middle East Archive on Instagram and purchase the book at middleastarchive.com.
