.ART

Above: Baya Mahieddine. Musiciennes. ​1975. Gouache on paper. 80.5 x 148.5 cm

In 2017, architect Ahlem Kebir co-founded Ineffable, a triannual magazine centering on Algerian art and culture. The digital magazine strives to embody the concept of “art and culture for all”.

Ahlem is based just outside Algiers and is currently pursuing a PhD in cultural heritage while simultaneously running the publication.

Interviewed by the Founder of .ART Ulvi Kasimov, Kebir shares her thoughts regarding the cultural climate in Algeria, the role of VR in bringing artwork to a wider public, and her hopes and aspirations for the magazine.

Ineffable — the magazine you founded in 2017 — focuses on the Algerian arts and culture scene. What was the inspiration behind the magazine and what is at its core?

We wanted to find a way to popularize Algerian culture. We thought we needed to create a positive space where people could learn the value of art and culture. That’s what’s missing here. We said, let’s try to teach people about it and see if it helps artists. If someone reads about the hard work of an artist – what he does, how much his work means to him and his personal story – then he will know the value of that art and maybe when he wants to buy something he will think about that artist and buy the work.

People who are really interested in culture are already in the field; architects and artists for example. Other people are not interested at all. I just wanted to take this topic out of the university and take it to the world so I decided to do it first as a digital magazine, which integrates art and cultural heritage. The magazine mostly focuses on Algerian art and culture but it’s very open and very modern. We talk about other countries but there’s always a connection to Algeria. What interests me the most is the way people talk about their cultural heritage and how they express themselves.

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Find out more about Ineffable magazine: ineffable-dz.art/