ical ▁frames ▁of ▁reference ▁that ▁have ▁defined ▁discuss ions ▁around ▁cultural ▁production ▁from ▁within ▁and ▁beyond ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁The ▁inaug ural ▁platform ▁was ▁launched ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 4 th ▁Ven ice ▁B ienn ale ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁alongside ▁the ▁exhibition ▁The ▁Future ▁of ▁a ▁Promise , ▁the ▁largest ▁Pan - A rab ▁exhibition ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁B ienn ale . ▁I bra az ▁Platform ▁ 0 0 1 ▁respond ed ▁to ▁regional ▁develop ments ▁across ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁the ▁so - called ▁‘ A rab ▁Spring ’ ▁and ▁its ▁effects ▁upon ▁the ▁visual ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁I bra az ▁is ▁an ▁initi ative ▁of ▁the ▁Kam el ▁Laz aar ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁S cope ▁of ▁coverage ▁and ▁activities ▁ ▁I bra az ’ s ▁content ▁covers ▁mostly ▁contemporary ▁visual ▁culture ▁from ▁or ▁about ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁its ▁di as por a . ▁However , ▁it ▁can ▁also ▁include ▁non - visual ▁culture , ▁such ▁as ▁sound - based ▁art , ▁and ▁other ▁periods , ▁such ▁as ▁Modern ▁art . ▁The ▁content ▁consists ▁of ▁ess ays , ▁inter views , ▁reviews , ▁artists ' ▁projects , ▁platform ▁responses ▁and ▁video ▁contributions ▁in ▁its ▁online ▁channel . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁online ▁platform ▁and ▁publications , ▁I bra az ▁organ ize ▁and ▁co - host ▁events ▁rel ating ▁to ▁visual ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁These ▁include ▁book ▁launch es , ▁panel