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EXPRESSIONS ART & CULTURE TALKS UNDERGOES A VIRTUAL MAKEOVER
EXPRESSIONS ART & CULTURE TALKS SERIES UNDERGOES A VIRTUAL MAKEOVER
One of QAIC’s flagship programs adopts to the virtual necessities of a socially distanced world
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A Digital Solution to a New Challenge
In the wake of a new reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the list of restrictions that came with it, QAIC was forced to innovate the way it approached its programming in order to provide quality content and engagement in a safe, socially distant manner. The Expressions Art & Culture Talks series is one of QAIC’s flagship programs with its exclusive conversations with leading creatives and cultural influencers and bountiful insight into the art world, and QAIC was adament to continue . With the option to host the Expressions events in person (as was the norm in early 2020 and prior) now an impossibility, the QAIC team opted for the next best option: adapting Expressions to a virtual format for audiences to join the event online.
On December 8th, 2020, the Qatar America Institute for Culture hosted a webinar titled “An Insiders look into the Past & Future of the Museum of Islamic Art” which feature the director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Dr. Julia Gonnella. The conversation, moderated by QAIC’s Executive Director Fatima Al-Dosari, covered the construction and history of the museum as a cultural landmark within Qatar, the vast array of artifacts and exhibitions held by the museum, and Dr. Gonnella’s distinct vision as she leads the museum into the new decade as Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup and initiatives planned in 2021 for the Qatar-U.S. Year of Culture.
On December 11th, 2020, the Qatar America Institute for Culture hosted a webinar titled “Transcendent Text: Exploring Universal Values Through Islamic Text” which featured renowned sculptor and master calligrapher, Sabah Arbilli. The conversation, moderated by QAIC’s Executive Director Fatima Al-Dosari, covered Arbilli’s major influences in calligraphy, the meaning and significance of his work, and his overall approach to his craft.
On December 17th, 2020, the Qatar America Institute for Culture hosted a webinar titled “Triangulating Arabic Script: History, Art, and Technology” which featured author and Georgetown University professor, Dr. J.R. Osborn. The conversation, moderated by QAIC’s Executive Director Fatima Al-Dosari, covered the history of Arabic script from its artistic roots in Arabic calligraphy to its incorporation into modern type within Western technology.
