VCUarts Qatar’s inaugural participation in the ARS Electronica Campus Exhibition, Meta-Functions of Cultural Production, features a selection of 10 works produced by undergraduate and graduate students and student-faculty collaborations. Reflective of the diverse creative and cultural ecosystems of Qatar and the larger SWANA region, this exhibition aims to present a multi-faceted exploration into the meta-functionality of cultural production and preservation.
Students and faculty on the Qatar-based campus engage in a plurality of hybrid forms of creative practice, crossing domains and intersections in art, design, science, and technology. This exhibition hopes to showcase the creative outcomes of multidisciplinary explorations, highlighting the innovative and highly collaborative approaches cultivated by the diverse community.
With the intention of unpacking complex issues and challenges through critical insights and new perspectives, the selected works invite visitors to explore and unravel meaning through cultural forms and contexts existing within systems of communication, behavior, and interaction. Meta-Functions of Cultural Production includes pieces examining Arabic typographic forms, nanotechnology for increased functionality in textiles, generative processes translating pattern to sound, usages of AI datasets for blind contour drawings, prototyping for responsive architecture, and a visual exploration in cultural conceptions of place.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in the region, VCUarts Qatar is the overseas branch campus of the Virginia Commonwealth University of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. The campus was established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation and operates within the rich multiversity system in Education City. VCUarts Qatar currently offers a BFA in graphic design, interior design, and painting and printmaking, a BA in art history, and an MFA in design.
VCUarts Qatar offers valuable opportunities for cross-cultural exchange, connecting VCUarts to the influential art and design world of the Middle East and beyond. The campus attracts various contributors to contemporary visual culture for speaking and teaching engagements, and hosts two major international events: Tasmeem Doha, a biennial art and design conference; and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Islamic Art Symposium.
Meta-Functions of Cultural Production is on view at ARS Electronica, taking place September 6–10 in Linz, Austria.
For more information, visit ars.electronica.art.
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