Virginia Commonwealth University–Qatar’s (VCU-Q) biennial international design conference ‘Tasmeem 2013’ is preparing for a diversified event. The conference will explore the role art and design in the transformation of Doha from a small pearl fishing community to today’s achievements.

‘Tasmeem 2013’ will be held under the theme ‘Hybrid Making’ at three venues — VCUQatar, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Centre between March 10 and 17.

Unlike traditional conferences, this year’s meet will be structured as a series of activities, collaborative workshops, lab sessions and exhibitions.

Acclaimed architect and winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize Rem Koolhaas, whose current projects include the new Qatar National Library, will deliver the keynote address.

“This Tasmeem has greatly expanded by activities. There is a lot available for people coming to the exhibition,” said Allyson Vanstone, Dean, VCU-Q at a press conference yesterday at the campus.

The conference’s theme will explore hybridity in making, building and sustaining a contemporary society, engaging with art, design and other interventions that have been conceived, designed or fabricated in Qatar.

Tasmeem Doha 2013 will include a series of exhibitions, presentations by artists, designers and architects who have realised projects in the country, and a series of workshops and labs for students led by VCU Richmond and Qatar professors and other artists. The primary goal of these working sessions is to design projects that explore and fulfil civic needs in Qatar and may eventually be adapted to serve the community.

The five-day production phase involving the workshops and laboratories will take place from March 10 to 14 at VCU-Q and Mathaf. The two-day conference (dissemination) portion will take place at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Student Centre in Education City on March 16 and 17.

A significant partner of Tasmeem Doha 2013 is Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art who will be hosting the 12 designer-lead student laboratories. Visitors to Mathaf will be welcome to walk through the laboratories during the production phase or view the outcomes throughout March.

As a component of the conference, the Tasmeem Film Festival will feature regional and international films, which reflect and embody the conference themes of ‘Made in Qatar’ or ‘Hybrid-Making’ through the vehicle of the moving image. The festival will showcase students’ works produced in the conference workshops.

The Peninsula

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