Faculty Members Take Part in Tasweer Photo Festival

‘And Thereafter’, an audio-visual installation involving VCUarts Qatar faculty members Hadeer Omar, Simone Muscolino and Michael Hersrud, has been launched at Al Koot Fort near Souq Waqif. The exhibition will run until May 20, 2023.

Initiated and organized by Tasweer (Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar), this installation was made possible through a partnership with Souq Waqif and the Private Engineering Office.  

According to information on Tasweer’s website, Omar, a VCUarts Qatar BFA Graphic Design and MFA in Design alumna, was commissioned to produce a contemporary response to the Al Koot Fort, which holds a unique and complex history. The fort is centrally located between Souq Waqif and Msheireb and has been the confluence between the historic market area and the seaside port since it was built in 1906.  

To create ‘And Thereafter’, Omar drew upon the surrounding areas of Souq Waqif as sources of inspiration, weaving together traditional and contemporary aspects of daily life and translating and transforming them into surreal immersive environments.

She created a heightened sense of the myriad sensory experiences that are typically associated with a traditional souq through captured images and sounds, all uniquely choreographed in the designated spaces of the fort.

The result is a dynamic spatial experience that transforms three key areas of Al Koot Fort. Visitors can immerse themselves in ‘The Transition’ in the Fort’s courtyard, ‘The Journey’ in the back room and ‘The Metamorphosis’ in the entrance room.

The narrative unfolds as the spaces are explored (in no particular sequence), guided by the experiential elements of aroma, sound, light and imagery. The video projections and soundscapes play in an asynchronous loop creating a constantly-renewing, generative experience that evolves over time, celebrating contemporary Qatari heritage, wrapped in Omar’s immersive media dreamscape.  

Omar created ‘And Thereafter’ in collaboration with Sonic Jeel, an artistic collective exploring hybrid media, started by Hersrud and Muscolino, and multidisciplinary designer Katia Kolovea. 

The installation is curated by Maryam Hassan Al-Thani.

Established by Qatar Museums under the leadership of its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and supported by the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), Tasweer is being developed as a focal point for the personal and professional creative growth of photographers and image-makers in the region. Tasweer builds on Qatar Museum’s commitment to nurturing artistic talent, developing Qatar’s arts economy and supporting the creative industry.