Fractal Elegies

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) participated in the Ars Electronica festival held in Linz, Austria, from September 4–8. It was the second time that faculty, alumni and students from the art and design University were participating in the world-renowned festival that drew more than 80,000 visitors last year.

This year, VCUarts Qatar’s exhibition was titled Fractal Elegies. Fractal Elegies invites viewers to engage with language not merely as a means of communication but as a lens through which to explore conceptions of meaning within diverse perspectives and experiences rooted in Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) and the Far East.

The Ars Electronica festival’s theme is “Hope—who will turn the tide?”. As per the festival’s official website, “the festival’s goal is to spotlight as many people as possible who have already set out on their journey and whose activities—no matter how big or small—are a very concrete reason to have hope.”

The VCUarts Qatar designers were Rogsh Emmanuel H. Garcia, Hind Al Saad, Basma Hamdy, Levi Hammett, Shima Aeinehdar, Selma Fejzullaj, Nada Abdo, Ayza Sheikh, Syed Naqvi and Erika Tsuchiya. The designers used a range of electronic accessories and technology such as lidar scanners, LED bulbs and 3D software such as Blender and Unity to bring their creative concepts to life.

This was MFA in Design student Syed Naqvi’s first participation in the Festival. Sharing his experience, he said, “Design research depends heavily on exposure to novel ideas and methods. While VCUarts Qatar provides us with incredible opportunities, such international exposure automatically made us step outside the habits and patterns we had subconsciously fallen into. We observed the unique ways in which people from all over the world were approaching many of the same problems and the insights they gained in the process.”

He added, “As MFA students, I feel that Ars Electronica comes at a great time for us since it allows us to evaluate our methodologies against those being used across the wider world. Without a doubt, it’s been an experience that will inspire us to contribute to the ever-expanding literature of design for years to come.”

Students and faculty at VCUarts Qatar, such as Naqvi, have access to the University’s world-class facilities, including a Materials Library, spaces for Digital Design + Fabrication, and the Innovative Media Studios. Students also benefit from VCUarts Qatar’s Institute for Creative Research, the only such research institute in the country.

Education at VCUarts Qatar involves participation in renowned international events such as Ars Electronica, London Design Week, Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, the Venice Biennale of Architecture, and so on. Additionally, the University regularly invites reputed speakers and conducts specialized workshops on relevant topics. VCUarts Qatar’s calendar events include the annual BFA + MFA exhibition, the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, and the Tasmeem Doha Art and Design Conference. 

VCUarts Qatar boasts more than 1000 alumni, many of whom have won coveted international awards including the Red Dot Award and the International Property Awards. VCUarts Qatar alumni, faculty, and students were actively involved in various projects, ranging from film direction, creative direction, set design, wardrobe design and stage performance to public art and curation during the latest FIFA World Cup tournament held in Doha in December 2022.