Meta-Functions of Cultural Production

As 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 presents 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 showcases the creative outcomes of multi-disciplinary explorations, highlighting the innovative and highly-collaborative approaches cultivated by the diverse community.

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 a selection of works exploring 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.

VCUarts Qatar is the overseas branch campus of the renowned Virginian Commonwealth University of the Arts in Richmond Virginia and is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the region. 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 and connects VCUarts to the influential art and design world of the Middle East and beyond. The campus attracts renowned 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.