Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) is participating in the Ars Electronica festival that is being held in Linz, Austria, from September 4 to 8. It is the second time faculty, alumni, and students from the art and design university are participating in the world-renowned festival that drew more than 80,000 visitors in 2023.
This year, VCUarts Qatar’s exhibition is 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?”
The VCUarts Qatar designers are Rogsh Emmanuel H. Garcia, Hind Al Saad, Basma Hamdy, Levi Hammett, Shima Aeinehdar, Selma Fejzullaj, Nada Abdo, Ayza Sheikh, Syed Naqvi, and Erika Tsuchiya. They used a range of electronic tools and technology, such as lidar scanners, LED bulbs, and 3D software such as Blender and Unity, to bring their creative concepts to life.
VCUarts Qatar is the branch campus of the highly-ranked Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation, VCUarts Qatar currently offers undergraduate BFA programs in kinetic imaging, graphic design, interior design, painting and printmaking, a BA in art history, and an MFA in design.
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 attracts 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.
