Zoghbi Bldg., 4th floor, 337 Gouraud street, Gemmayze
Beirut 1100
Lebanon
- Arts
- Heritage
The Arab Image Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that was established in Beirut in 1997 to locate, collect, preserve and present the photographic heritage of the Middle East, North Africa and the Arab Diaspora. The ongoing research of photographs started in 1997 and, until today, covers Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, Argentina and Senegal. The collections acquired include 150,000 photographs. The Arab Image Foundation aims to make its collection accessible to the general public through the wide spectrum of activities it initiates, among which are exhibitions, publications, videos, a website and an on-line searchable image database.
The Arab Image Foundation’s projects and activities fall under three major programs: - Photographic research program: AIF initiates research missions in order to locate and collect photographic material, whether professional photography or anonymous and amateur. - Preservation and collection management program: AIF preserves the photographs by digitizing them and archiving them in a cold storage room. The images are entered and documented in an online database that enables the access to the collection. - Public outreach program: AIF organizes exhibitions and publishes books and produces films in order to make accessible the collection and promote it.