VCUarts Qatar’s Inaugural Exhibition at Ars Electronica Festival Draws in Visitors

VCUarts Qatar had its presence alongside 55 other universities from across the globe in a dedicated space titled “Ars Electronica Campus Exhibition”

In a year that marks the university’s 25^th anniversary, VCUarts Qatar’s debut featured projects related to nanotechnology, AI, new technologies, spatial design and the Arabic language

Imagine being part of a festival that welcomed 88,000 visitors, 1,542 artists, scientists, developers, designers and activists from 88 countries, and 338 partners and sponsors, had 650 exhibits on display, and hosted 575 events over 5 days at 14 locations.

That’s the unforgettable experience faculty, staff, students and alumni at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university, had, when the University made its debut at the world-renowned Ars Electronica Festival 2023, in Linz, Austria, recently.

VCUarts Qatar had its presence alongside 55 other universities from across the globe in a dedicated space titled “Ars Electronica Campus Exhibition”. The University’s individual exhibition was titled “Meta-Functions of Cultural Production” and featured a selection of ten works produced by undergraduate and graduate students and student-faculty collaborations.

The works on display included Arabic typographic forms, nanotechnology for increased functionality in textiles, generative processes translating patterns to sound, usages of artificial intelligence datasets for blind contour drawings, prototyping for responsive architecture, and a visual exploration into the cultural conceptions of place.

The projects were “Preceding Emptiness: Alternative Arabic Typographic Technologies” by Levi Hammett, Mohammad Suleiman, Hind Al Saad and Fatima Abbas; “Simulated Fashion” by Hadeer Omar in collaboration with the University’s Art Foundation program’s Time Studio; Ghayda Abduljalil’s “Fast Paced Life”; “Nanoabaya” by Noor Rashid Butt, Khaled Saoud and Christopher Fink; “Stitch by Stitch” by Naima Almajdobah; “Sacred Silence” by Basma Hamdy, Shima Aeinehdar and Selma Fejzullaj; “Electric Calligraphy” by Lana Abou Selo, Fatima Abbas and Levi Hammett; “Rays of Essence” by Hind Al Saad, Sara Khalid, Joshua Rodenberg and Fatima Abbas; “Transformative Distortions” by Jood Elbeshti; and Jameela AlHumaidi’s “Morphing Memories”.

The installations – at the intersection of art, design, culture, technology and new media – roused the curiosity of attendees, resulting in some “memorable” conversations between the VCUarts Qatar participants and visitors.

Jood Elbeshti, one of the participants, said, “Visitors often posed a variety of thought-provoking questions, ranging from inquiries about the technical aspects of my work to deeper explorations of its conceptual underpinnings. Some were curious about the materials and techniques I employed and wanted to understand the process behind my creations. Others delved into the symbolism and themes in my art, inquiring about the ideas that drove my creative choices. I had quite a few memorable discussions about the intricate facets of my project, fostering a deeper connection between my work and its audience.”

She added, “Being part of Ars Electronica Festival 2023 – and of VCUarts Qatar – has allowed me to connect with like-minded people who share my passions and ideas. Attending an exhibition of this scale and magnitude has been nothing short of a thrilling chance to experience exceptionally innovative and technology-driven design. The people I’ve met and the creativity I’ve seen have opened up a wealth of possibilities, injecting fresh energy into my artistic journey. I’ve returned home with an even stronger desire to explore new avenues in design.”

Since being set up in 1979, Ars Electronica has evolved to be a platform for artists, scientists, technologists, designers, developers, entrepreneurs and activists from all over the world to come together and discuss questions central to humanity, with their focus being on new technologies and how they change the way people live and work together.

Described as a “Festival for Art, Technology and Society” on the Festival’s website, the overall theme for Ars Electronica Festival 2023 was “Who owns the truth?” The theme stood metaphorically for the fact that in the search for truth, one encounters a diversity of people, a diversity of opinions.