Matter Diplopia
Open to the public throughout June at Somerset House
June 5–29, 2025
London WC2R 1LA
United Kingdom
Exhibition open to the public throughout June at Somerset House.
Doha, Qatar / London, UK – May 27, 2025—Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) is set to make its inaugural appearance at the London Design Biennale 2025, showcasing Matter Diplopia, a dynamic, research-driven pavilion that explores the interplay of culture and materiality in a rapidly transforming nation.
VCUarts Qatar is the branch campus of the highly-ranked Virginia Commonwealth School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia, and has been a partner university on the Education City campus of Qatar Foundation in Doha, Qatar since 1998.
London Design Biennale’s fifth edition, ‘Surface Reflections’, will take place this year from 5 to 29 June at Somerset House. London Design Biennale is an international exhibition of over 40 exhibitors from around the world showcasing world-leading design confronting global challenges and inspiring audiences with thought-provoking installations.
Matter Diplopia is a creative research collaboration between faculty, students, and alumni, a collective act of making and meaning. Through nine research projects, the exhibition examines how environments, both natural and built, reveal deeper patterns of connection, transformation, and resilience in Qatar and beyond.
“In a nation where ancient landscapes meet rapid modernization, Matter Diplopia is a collective act of creative production, unfolding through nine projects co-created by faculty, students, and alumni of VCUarts Qatar,” said Amir Berbić, Dean of VCUarts Qatar. “We are proud to bring this work to the international stage for the first time, and to share how design can generate new forms of cultural dialogue, innovation, and exchange.”
The viewing experience is around three themed tours—Material Innovation, Cultural Narrative + Tech, and Observing Environments. Matter Diplopia invites audiences to “look again” at how materials shape, and are shaped by, cultural narratives. Projects include:
Chrysalis—A kinetic air-cleaning sculpture that transforms fabric and structure into a beautiful “breathing” system.
DUB DOUBT—A multisensory dub-inspired installation that questions cultural appropriation through sonic and tactile engagement.
El Zaffah—A celebration of Arab wedding traditions through immersive audiovisual storytelling.
Greener Greenhouse Goes GMT—A bamboo structure inspired by the Crystal Palace, built in Kenya using locally sourced materials and friction joinery.
Nature’s Alchemy, Dunes and Dugongs, and Discursive Instrumentation—Environmental works that explore sustainability, climate awareness, and urban soundscapes through research and design.
Stone Plus—A distinctive furniture collection reimagining fragile Qatari stone through adaptive design.
Tatreez Unbroken—Immersive works inspired by Palestinian embroidery, embodying the spirit and resistance of displaced women from Gaza.
Thematically, the exhibition draws on diplopia—the phenomenon of double vision—as a metaphor for seeing through multiple cultural and material lenses. It reflects on how local traditions and global influences intertwine, offering a layered narrative of Qatar’s evolving identity.
VCUarts Qatar’s debut at the Biennale underscores its growing international profile as a leader in interdisciplinary art and design education, cultural research, and innovation in the Global South. Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, the university was the first international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
“VCUarts Qatar’s presence at the London Design Biennale exemplifies how design-led research and innovation can offer bold, globally resonant responses to the challenges of our time. The nine projects we present reflect a diverse spectrum of inquiry—each one a testament to the power of creative collaboration and critical thinking,” said Dr. Diane Derr, Associate Dean of Research at VCUarts Qatar.
Matter Diplopia will be on view at the London Design Biennale from June 5-29, 2025. All tours are open to the attending public. More details are available here.
About Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar
VCUarts Qatar is the overseas campus of the highly ranked Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, in Richmond, Virginia (U.S. News & World Report). Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, VCUarts Qatar currently offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in kinetic imaging, graphic design, interior design and painting and printmaking, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design.
The world-class facilities at VCUarts Qatar include the region’s only Materials Library housed within an academic institution, with an impressive collection of more than 10,000 materials sourced from around the world. Students from all programs have access to the state-of-the-art facilities in the Digital Design + Fabrication studios and the Innovative Media Studios, not to mention the numerous activities and access to courses at other campuses throughout Education City where VCUarts Qatar is situated.
Education at VCUarts Qatar involves participation in renowned art and design events such as Ars Electronica, Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, the Venice Biennale of Architecture, and so on. Additionally, the University regularly hosts reputed speakers and conducts specialized workshops on various topics. Students choosing to join VCUarts Qatar will also benefit from the University’s Institute for Creative Research which was launched in 2022 and is the only such research institute in the country.
About London Design Biennale
Established in 2016 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Biennale promotes international collaboration and the global role of design. Since its inception, the Biennale welcomes the world’s most exciting and ambitious designers, innovators and cultural bodies to the capital. The fifth edition of London Design Biennale will take place from 5-29 June 2025, artistically directed by Dr. Samuel Ross MBE— British designer and artist who is the founder of A-COLDWALL* and SR_A SR_A, as well as the Black British Artists Grants Programme. Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, from the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Courtyard to the Embankment Galleries, participants from across the globe are invited to imagine and enact new forms of international cooperation and participation, through the medium of design. London Design Biennale's International Advisory Committee and Jury includes: Paola Antonelli, Rashid and Ahmed bin Shabib, Victoria Broackes, Ben Evans CBE, Dylan Jones OBE, Suhair Khan, Prof. Jeremy Myerson, Charlene Prempeh, Tosin Oshinowo, Jonathan Reekie CBE, Dr Christopher Turner and Ana Yang.
