Final Crits - The Q-Pop Project, VCUQatar MFA, Doha...

A few images from our final crit for the two (combined) studio classes (DESI 611 & 613) exploring the theme of Q-Pop... A brief outline of the assignment is included below... 

 Q-POP stands for Qatari Pop and the term derives from well-established phenomena such as J or K-Pop. K-Pop is currently a worldwide success and it contributes, more than anything else, to define Korean identity. The making of a K-Pop artist is a completely controlled process, very similar to the design of a character: artists are trained from very young age, bands are assembled by the production companies and the personalities of the artists are enhanced according to marketing strategies. We will use K-Pop as a benchmark for our studio project and as a reference to explore local behaviors, styles and artifacts. 

During the Q_POP project students will develop research, generate a fictional character, define his/her personality through artifacts, and design a digital interaction performance between the character and a possible audience. The aim of the Q-POP studio is to investigate regional popular culture and critically confront it: the final project will have to challenge, celebrate, criticize and destabilize our current notions.

The students were asked to define and produce work exploring their particular take of Q-Pop (or alternate regional version of the notion) through 2D, 3D, and kinesthetic/ interactive means...

The class was also taught by Marco Bruno and Diane Derr (along with participation of numerous  additional colleagues)...

Thank you all students and fellow faculty for joining us and providing invaluable feedback on this project... 

Good times...

Above & Below: Hawa's project exploring customization related notions in the region (Same, Same, but Different)...

Noha's project looking into the evolving Qatari culture of consuming Karak. The 'cup' above was made using 22 grams of sugar, the equivalent quantity of the sweetener included in each (surprisingly small) cup of the beverage...

Above & Below: Ozzie's project looking into the 'Shabat' - a decal/ artifact used as a memento to represent a marriage...

A marriage contract, written using henna on salt...

A few of Ozzie's early material explorations, using salt, copper, petrified wood, and more...

Above & Belwo: Barbara's project exploring the local 'honking' culture, here translated into various alternate auditory and visual renditions...

Above & Below: Hadeer's expansion (and invention) of a novel way for texting/ writing Arabizi (based on Qatari or any other Arabic accent) using the Leap device, and adapting/ re-contextualizing the counting sequence/ pattern done in the aftermath of prayer...

Above and Below: Faisal's project expanding on the drivers' role in the 'Instagram' market reaching prominence in Kuwait (Ku-Pop)...

Look into this mirror..!

Above & Below: Yasmeen's peek into the (quasi) secretive world of the Qatari 'Ghabgha' parties/ events...

BOVE & BELOW: Sultana's look into the role, and residue, of the blue-collar workers in Qatar. Here expressed through expanding and abstracting the notion of 'scaffolding'...

Samree's rendition of Pakistani 'Truck-Art' (P-Pop)...

Above & Below: Malaz's, often quite disquieting, research and expression of abandonment in the region...