Take Me With You - Tasmeem Doha 2015 : 3ajeeb!

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#vcuqatar #tasmeem2015 #proposal #cocococochairs #play #playfulness #arabizi #3ajeeb #cool #strange #slightlyweird #tasmeem3ajeeb #process #yallah #takemewithyou #ineverwenttotasmeem doha #bigheads #vcuarts #tasmeemintheclassroom #TIC #actionfashion #playfulportraits #busi nessasusual #collaborationinthestudio #theexpatcollection #costumes #fashion #digitaland analogtools #gridsandsurrealism #gamificationofpedagogy #horsemonument #3ajeebasframework #immersivecampus #itiswhatitisnt #illumanuscript #masquerade #metamorphosis #llcandco #mix tape #magiclantern #modtype #metamorphosistypemorphology #mixtape #minigolf #openworkbook Publication Credits #themythsofunity #objecthack #paperchairproject #prainting3ajeeb #itsallintheplasm #play onthemove #privacyfair #responsivepixels #prosthesis #roomforimprovement #3ajeebasretail Tasmeem Doha 2015 post-publication, Take Me concept #3ajeebsportswear #sk8ofqatar #victoriansatplay The #transcendencestation #wallofwar You, has been published #artistminigolf by the VCUQatar #wallcoverall #thewonderbox #TICexhibition #vcuqatargalleryWith #3ajeebballoons Office of Communications. #pre3ajeeb #arrival #pizza #setup #fablab #greenscreen #souqwaqif #falcons #3ajeebus #wel come #workshopleaders #registration #dayglobags #welcomestudents #zayeduniversity #alumni Meike Kaan #faculty #staff #3ajeeblive #openingspeakers #presentations #porsandrao #specialguests #valen Executive Director of Communications tinogaravani #giancarlogiammetti #qatarfoundation #sheikhamozabintnasser #3ajeebstudios #robo and External Relations tswithcharacter #makinganimatedgifs #turningthetables #thenomadicdoll mckaan@vcu.edu #thewonderbox #3Dprin texchange #praesentia #phonotropia #lightcalligraphy #nowthatsazine #delightfulinteraction Art Director #themoneychanger #floatingarchitecture #touchthesound #punchcardknittingmachines #facepaint Jinan Shaaban edpeople #thehousethatknewtoomuch #sowhatareyougoingtoshootSara#bamboobikebuilding #heyaoriga mi #atypicaltype #diybattleofthebands #marionettekinect #holeinoneminigolf #portraitmachine Designers #theypromisedusjetpacks #qatarairwayslunch #donutumbrella #chilican #picnic #popcornbreak Haya Sayel Daher #karakbreak #wafflestick #diycupcakes #shawarma #shawarmasessions #publicaffairs #intheeyeo Moza Khalifa Al-Suwaidi fthebeholder #courtyardmajlis #twinklelights #eggjeeb #makingmeaning #thefuturewasyester Editor #lasercat #emojihead #fes day #atriumdanceparty #MEDEA #dayOFFF #OFFFontour #coolshawarma tivalday #exhibitions #performances #playfulinteractions #popupmarket #tweetbook #filmhouse Lauren Maas #thrones #vcuqatarshop #blacklightsale #closingspeaker #caseyneistat #inlandsea #landcruis Production ercaravan #camelride #sandtubing #vcuglobe #desertcamp #henna #gulfswim #dunebashing #DOH Printec Solutions #TICexhibition #RVA #depotgallery #vcuarts #3ajeeblive #3ajeebwisdom #3ajeeboutcomes #3ajeeb memories #vcuqatar #tasmeem2015 #proposal #cocococochairs #play #playfulness #arabizi #3ajeeb This publication incorporates repurposed paper #cool #strange #slightlyweird #tasmeem3ajeeb #process #yallah #takemewithyou #ineverwentto from surplus Tasmeem In The Classroom and Tasmeem tasmeemdoha #bigheads #vcuarts #tasmeemintheclassroom #TIC 3ajeeb! #actionfashion #playfulportraits Program publications making it the final artifact #businessasusual #collaborationinthestudio #theexpatcollection #costumes #fashion #digita of the 3ajeeb! brand. The design reflects VCUQatar’s landanalogtools #gridsandsurrealism #gamificationofpedagogy continuing #horsemonument efforts toward#3ajeebasframework sustainable production practic #immersivecampus #itiswhatitisnt #illumanuscript #masquerade #metamorphosis #llcandco #mix Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar Publication tape #magiclantern #modtype #metamorphosistypemorphology #mixtape #minigolf #openworkbook © 2015 #themythsofunity #objecthack #paperchairproject #prainting3ajeeb #itsallintheplasm #playon themove #privacyfair #responsivepixels #prosthesis #roomforimprovement #3ajeebasretailcon cept #3ajeebsportswear #sk8ofqatar #victoriansatplay #transcendencestation #wallofwar #wall coverall #thewonderbox #TICexhibition #vcuqatargallery #3ajeebballoons #artistminigolf #pre3ajeeb #arrival #pizza #setup #fablab #greenscreen #souqwaqif #falcons #3ajeebus #wel come #workshopleaders #registration #dayglobags #welcomestudents #zayeduniversity #alumni #faculty #staff #3ajeeblive #openingspeakers #presentations #porsandrao #specialguests #valen tinogaravani #giancarlogiammetti #qatarfoundation #sheikhamozabintnasser #3ajeebstudios #robo tswithcharacter #makinganimatedgifs #turningthetables #thenomadicdoll #thewonderbox #3Dprin texchange #praesentia #phonotropia #lightcalligraphy #nowthatsazine #delightfulinteraction #themoneychanger #floatingarchitecture #touchthesound #punchcardknittingmachines #facepaint edpeople #thehousethatknewtoomuch #sowhatareyougoingtoshoot #bamboobikebuilding #heyaoriga mi #atypicaltype #diybattleofthebands #marionettekinect #holeinoneminigolf #portraitmachine #theypromisedusjetpacks #qatarairwayslunch #donutumbrella #chilican #picnic #popcornbreak #karakbreak #wafflestick #diycupcakes #shawarma #shawarmasessions #publicaffairs #intheeyeoft hebeholder #courtyardmajlis #twinklelights #eggjeeb #makingmeaning #thefuturewasyesterday #atriumdanceparty #MEDEA #dayOFFF #OFFFontour #coolshawarma #lasercat #emojihead #festivalday #exhibitions #performances #playfulinteractions #popupmarket #tweetbook #filmhouse #thrones #vcuqatarshop #blacklightsale #closingspeaker #caseyneistat #inlandsea #landcruisercaravan #camelride #sandtubing #vcuglobe #desertcamp #henna #gulfswim #dunebashing #DOH #TICexhibi tion #RVA #depotgallery #vcuarts #3ajeeblive #3ajeebwisdom #3ajeeboutcomes #3ajeebmemories #vcuqatar #tasmeem2015 #proposal #cocococochairs #play #playfulness #arabizi #3ajeeb #cool #strange #slightlyweird #tasmeem3ajeeb #process #yallah #takemewithyou #ineverwenttotasmeem

IN THE BEGINNING… Tasmeem 3ajeeb! was born in September of 2013 when we four co-chairs—Levi Hammett, Michael Hersrud, Richard Lombard and Simone Muscolino—came together to develop a proposal for the upcoming 2015 conference.

At the time, the energy inside VCUQatar, and all around Doha, was bubbling with a strange and playful exuberance.

Damien Hirst was outside—presenting an exhibition at Al Riwaq and unveiling a set of massive bronze babies across from Education City—while projects at the university were becoming more experimental with materials, innovative processes and visual content. This environment prompted us to dig deeper into the idea of “play” as a catalyst for art and design. As a starting point, we felt it would generate outcomes that were a bit out of the ordinary, a little unpredictable, while also encouraging collaboration and lively participation.

RICHARD

“3ajeeb!” cried the two Saudi border agents, doubled over in laughter on the side of the road.

Above their heads, a gold balloon twisted slowly in the wind. A third agent stood next to my truck, less than amused…

Driving the Tasmeem Doha 2015 exhibition back from Design Days Dubai, every Customs checkpoint en route to Doha was an unknown: what would the agents make of my cargo—the dolls, bamboo bikes, record players, and robots? The third agent had been the one to open the cover of my truck bed for inspection. It was into his unsuspecting face a metallic object flew, causing him to jump back in fear. His colleagues, seeing the object for what it was: a party balloon—not an explosive, nor threat of any kind—burst into laughter at their friend’s expense. The startled agent yanked the balloon’s string, and following along to its end, found himself staring into the sad eyes of a bandaged blue robot. As he did this,the balloon spun around to reveal the name of our 2015 Tasmeem Doha Festival—3ajeeb!

3ajeeb, indeed.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Once our proposal was accepted, conversations with colleagues and students led us to an Arabic title—ajeeb—that closely matched our vision for the conference, while still encompassing the notion of “play.” The word had roughly similar meanings in Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali; it both reflected the diversity of our community and provoked a wonderful range of reactions. Some used it to express “cool!” while others understood it to mean “awkward,” and still others thought “bizarre.” It was perfect.

Eventually, we came to define as “strange in a strange way, cool in a cool way, and slightly weird in a slightly weird way.” This definition became the subtext, and eventual framework, for the conference.

After getting a handle on the pronunciation, we thought it was pretty fun to say too.

Additionally, ajeeb could demonstrate a contemporary regional adaptation of language.

Before smartphones, there were no Arabic letters on cell phone key pads. This led to the creation of an SMS-version of Arabic using Latin characters, called Arabizi. In Arabizi, the first letter of ajeeb—ayn—is preceded by the number “3” to indicate the first syllable’s long “ahhh” sound. This familiar alteration was what allowed the Saudi Customs agents to immediately understand, and enjoy, that 3ajeeb moment with the balloon at the border. Considering the conference’s focus on play as a channel for innovation, the incorporation of Arabizi into our title felt right—both contemporary and slightly weird.

“The goal of the event was to present playfulness as a methodology: an approach to learning, investigating and making.”

TASMEEM IN CONTEXT Tasmeem Doha is a biennial conference dedicated to art and design. In addition to the involvement of students and faculty at VCUQatar, the event attracts designers, artists, academics and industry professionals from all over the world. Each Tasmeem Doha explores new ways of thinking, making, seeing and learning by focusing on contemporary themes, and the 2015 edition was now officially Tasmeem 3ajeeb!.

The concept of “play” in art and design is not new; it can be found in the work of influential figures like Charles and Ray Eames and Libuše Niklová who saw as much value in well-designed toys as they did in well-designed chairs. From a more contemporary view, we looked to artists and designers imagining future scenarios like those showcased in the Museum of Modern Art’s 2011 Talk to Me exhibition. In this exhibition, works imagined a world in which every object would need to project human emotion and “relate” to its owners in a personal way. An industry-minded perspective is offered by Tim Brown, CEO at IDEO, who says “playfulness helps us get to better creative solutions—helps us do our jobs better.”

Play has long been a focus of academic discourse; twentieth-century Dutch cultural historian Johan Huizinga believed that “play is older than culture” and deemed all play to be a kind of transcendent experience.

Contemporary researchers see play as a critical element in the development of the brain’s circuitry: by figuring out rules, parameters and possible outcomes, our brains get the best workout.

When we are engaged in a game, we are fully invested in what we are doing, completely absorbed. As a result, learning is not forced; it is needed, even craved, in order to achieve greater results. We hoped to embrace this focus, while promoting the wild, unexpected outcomes implied by our rallying cry—3ajeeb!

The conference was, in some ways, also about shifting expectations. In the Gulf region, we are regularly exposed to the most polished, high-end deliverables—from artwork to architecture, Damien Hirst to Rem Koolhaas. In contrast, Tasmeem 3ajeeb! was an opportunity to embrace the messy, unpredictable starting points of the creative process—the happy accidents and strange connections essential to the practice of art and design. The goal of the event was to present playfulness as a methodology: an approach to learning, investigating and making.

Finally, from a global standpoint, the timing seemed right for this type of approach. Coverage of current events portrays an increasingly polarized world, in spite of our unprecedented digital connectedness. With Tasmeem 3ajeeb!, we had the opportunity to forge positive, creative and diverse networks of people in real life and real time, through the sharing of ideas, experiences and skill sets.

VCUQatar’s unique identity as an American branch campus in the Middle East—a mash-up of fifty-plus nationalities and many different cultural and religious backgrounds—makes it the ideal backdrop for such an exchange.

MICHAEL

Sometime around 7pm on Day 2 of Tasmeem 3ajeeb!, I was still in the building helping out a few of the workshop leaders. All seemed quiet. I had discovered a unique-looking fixed gear bike in the “Bamboo Bikes” workshop space and could not resist the temptation to jump on and take a ride around the halls to check in on everything. The bike took some getting used to since you pedaled using the back wheel and I was a little worried about crashing, but I started to get the hang of it. Riding around, I quickly discovered that the building was anything but quiet—students, faculty and attendees were everywhere—working on their projects inside classrooms, dancing to music in the halls with painted faces, using their iPhones as mini-boom boxes. They were engaged in intense games of table tennis and mini golf; they were painting, cutting, drawing, 3D printing and programming robots.

There was no homework, nothing was due, nothing was being graded and there was no reason to be at school since the conference day had ended hours ago; yet so many people were still here, working, playing, having fun. Zipping through the Saffron Hall, the smell of popcorn still in the air, I felt possessed by the energy that was taking over the building. I gained speed heading into my final turn only to realize my crazy bike did not have brakes.

I panicked (slightly), but was thankful we had lined the halls with majlis cushions. They provided a soft landing.

#bigheads #tasmeem3ajeeb #vcuqatar

TASMEEM INGREDIENTS As we considered the organization of Tasmeem Doha’s 2015 edition, we were inspired by the success of events like the post-digital culture festival OFFF, a dynamic event held

SIMONE

annually in Barcelona for contemporary artists, designers, filmmakers and performers. Like OFFF, Tasmeem 3ajeeb! aimed to approach creative exchange in fresh and uncon-

Late one Tuesday night in January, Levi and I were in the 3ajeeb! headquarters after a long afternoon of meetings. We still needed to figure out how to close the conference.

I had recently started following Casey Neistat on Snapchat, and we were talking about how good he was with this form of social media becoming increasingly popular with our students. With his mix of energy, motivation and engagement, we agreed Casey would be the perfect fit. We also knew that he was not planning to travel, because he had a newborn baby at home. But we decided to give it a try.

ventional ways. To this end, we wanted to shift the week-long format from “conference” to “festival,” with several distinct blocks of programming.

Activities kicked off in Fall 2014 with Tasmeem In The Classroom (TIC) and the Artist Mini Golf project. TIC was a series of pre-conference projects developed by students and faculty at VCUQatar and VCUarts in Richmond centering on the theme of “3ajeeb.” TIC outcomes ranged from performance to wearable art to interactive devices to innovative drawing techniques. Of those participating in the TIC program at VCUarts, twenty students and ten faculty were selected to attend Tasmeem 3ajeeb! in Doha, and exhibitions featuring the projects were held at the VCUQatar Gallery and the

We went to his website, looking for an email address, and on the contact page we found this note: Please keep it short; I only read the first couple of sentences anyways.

a semester-long project led by visiting artists Robin

So we dropped him this message:

course for Tasmeem 3ajeeb!.

Doha. Qatar.

Closing tasmeemdoha.com.

Business class return flight + some $.

We love you.

After a few hours, he got back to us:

Depot Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. Artist Mini Golf was Schwartzman and Tom Loftus who collaborated with VCUQatar students and faculty to create a unique mini golf

The conference event itself was defined by 3ajeeb! Studios (26 distinct workshops led by creative professionals from all over the world), featured speakers (opening night’s Pors & Rao; special guests Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti; closing night’s Casey Neistat), Shawarma Sessions

Hi Simone, Your email might have been too brief! Can you tell me more, share some specifics.

Thanks a lot!

Casey It was enough to start a conversation, reach an agreement and have a remarkable closing event. He is a good man.

(mid-day, shawarma-fueled talks by workshop leaders centered on current themes in art and design) and the Day OFFF (an OFFF-curated day of presentations by fun, contemporary creative thinkers). The conference culminated in Festival Day, a public showcase of the 3ajeeb! Studio projects where visitors could engage with artists and designers, take advantage of photo opportunities and be all things 3ajeeb.Throughout all of our planning, playful participation was the driving motivation and catalyst for creativity, expression and inventiveness.

“Tasmeem 3ajeeb! aimed to approach creative exchange in fresh and unconventional ways.

To this end, we wanted to shift the week-long format from “conference” to “festival…”

In order to set the tone and drum up excitement during the early days of conference planning, a good deal of focus was placed on the branding of the event. Culling inspiration and imagery from our own classrooms, the streets of Doha and weird recesses of the Internet, we worked with a team of designers to present Tasmeem 3ajeeb!’s offbeat, yet cohesive, identity. This work became the foundation for all conference documentation and deliverables including the Tasmeem Doha website, the Tasmeem In The Classroom publication, the Tasmeem 3ajeeb! program and accompanying banners, bags, t-shirts and ephemera.

The Tasmeem Doha website also featured “3ajeeb! Live,” a virtual counterpart to the physical conference. 3ajeeb! Live featured real-time updates from Twitter, Vine and Instagram feeds, as well as live streaming of all presentations. This provided behind-the-scenes access to the events, whether you were attending in person or observing off-site. With interested parties all over the world—especially in Richmond—3ajeeb! Live was an invaluable asset. And the virality of #tasmeem3ajeeb was a success—by week’s end, more than 3,000 posts had been aggregated as word came in from alumni all over the world that scenes of the conference had been dominating their social media feeds. In fact, much of the content of this book has been drawn directly from the #tasmeem3ajeeb collection.

TASMEEM IN THE END So what, then, to make of all this?

Though, at times, Tasmeem 3ajeeb! may have felt a little like a three-ringed circus, there was always method in the madness. Mass participation was our primary goal when planning the event—one that was undeniably achieved. First and foremost, students were actively engaged—beginning in Fall 2014 with Tasmeem In The Classroom, and stretching

LEVI

across all five days of the event. They absorbed new concepts quickly, worked collaboratively, solved problems creatively, while gaining skills that will inform and improve future projects.

By the second day the entire event was unfolding into a giant emergent system. The workshops had taken on lives of their own and every open space had expanded into individual worlds of intense activity. I remember walking around the building, dodging cyclists riding through the hallways, stray ping pong balls ricocheting off the walls and random robots cruising across the floors. What amazed me was that such a diverse group of people was behind all of this activity: professors, students, parents, kids, from such different cultural backgrounds. But by the end of the fifth day, it felt as though everyone had become a family. Not a normal family by any means, but one that was definitely cool in a cool way, strange in a strange way, and slightly weird in a slightly weird way...

Secondly, and of equal importance, they were able to express themselves and their individuality. One of the attractive aspects of 3ajeeb was that the word had personal connotations. Our idea of what is “3ajeeb” might be very different from someone else’s, and that’s a good thing. In this spirit, we hoped to foster an atmosphere where conference-goers could interact and be the cool, strange, slightly weird people they are or, perhaps, might want to be on the inside. We wanted to create an open platform where the students—and all participants—would feel comfortable being themselves.

And they did.

We were also incredibly humbled by the dedicated participation of a world-class group of creative talent that came to us in the form of 3ajeeb! Studio leaders: their investment was infectious. Their personal tales of creativity and the projects they developed set the tone not just for the students, but for the entire event.

The weekend after the conference, we had the opportunity to show our 3ajeeb! work at Design Days Dubai. So, on Friday morning, we were busy packing the best/most portable outcomes into the back of a truck. They were driven to Dubai that day and installed on Saturday, just in time for the opening on Sunday.

There, amidst works by Zaha Hadid, Studio Job and Random International, our empathetic robots, bamboo bicycles and turntable-based animations provided, as Domus magazine wrote, “testimony to the reverberations of work that certainly centered on critical, lateral and divergent thought, managing to move the horizon and construct new points of view.”

We are most proud of these “new points of view.” Using the theme of 3ajeeb!, we attempted to present new ways of seeing, making and creating work. To our satisfaction, we sensed that all participants walked away with the realization that art and design can be fun, playful AND serious, all at the same time. Workshops resulted in a multitude of strange wonders: Chinese demons wandering the halls, bicycles with wings, dolls packaged like raw meat, cabbages played like musical instruments, and sweaters patterned with folding chairs. No two projects were even remotely alike: there was no “norm” to be found, no corrosion of conformity. What the experience served to highlight was the ability to create a very strong and unified communal voice using wildly different inputs.

And we did it all with shawarma.

#process #fashion #TIC #whatwecouldhaveworn

“We wanted to celebrate everything crazy about art and design.”

L E V I HAM M ETT, CO- CH A IR

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tas me e mdo ha.co m/f esti val-d a y

#festivalday #vcuqatar #saffronhall

#festivalday #3ajeeboutcomes #nowthatsazine

#festivalday #3ajeeboutcomes #floatingarchitecture

#3ajeeboutcomes #lightcalligraphy #themoneychanger #robotswithcharacter

#festivalday #thewonderbox #phonotropia #delightfulinteraction

#3ajeeboutcomes #holeinoneminigolf #atypicaltype #bamboobikebuilding

#festivalday #3ajeeboutcomes #holeinoneminigolf #atypicaltype #bamboobikebuilding

#festivalday #TICexhibition #DOH #RVA

tas me e mdo ha.co m

Photo Credit: Jorge MartĂ­n MuĂąoz

#openingspeakers #porsandrao

#shawarmasessions #publicaffairs

#shawarmasessions #intheeyeofthebeholder

“There is no such thing as meaning without making.”

G I OVA N N I IN N ELL A

15 Â

#shawarmasessions #makingmeaning

“I think you can use technology to criticize technology. It’s not there for you to just accept it.”

SIM ON E REBAU D ENGO

#shawarmasessions #thefuturewasyesterday

“Beauty, beauty, beauty...”

VAL E N TIN O GAR AVANI

#specialguests #valentinogaravani #giancarlogiammetti

“Whenever someone tells you, ‘it doesn’t work like that,’ keep going, you’re doing it right.”

CA SE Y NEISTAT

#closingspeaker #caseyneistat

tas me e mdo ha.co m/day-o fff

“We need to re­mystify data and re­quantify the self.”

SOUGWEN CH UNG

#dayOFFF #mucho

@murjanscubaqatar Steve Simpson’s awesome redesign of barcodes @vcuqatar #tasmeem3ajeeb and I discovered he illustrated Danger Mouse for 5 years!!!

#dayOFFF #stevesimpson

“I learned a lot from raising robots, especially about what it means to be human.�

JAN DE COST ER

#dayOFFF #hungrycastle #coolshawarma #emojihead

#dayOFFF #hungrycastle #coolshawarma #emojihead

#dayOFFF #hungrycastle #coolshawarma #emojihead

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / t y p e

#ATYPICALTYPE DEVELOPED UNIQUE PHYSICAL TYPEFACES USING FOUND OBJECTS WHILE EXPLORING TECHNICAL AND TRADITIONAL FORMS OF TYPOGRAPHY. PARTICIPANTS UPLOADED FINAL DESIGNS TO AN ONLINE STORE AND DONATED PROCEEDS TO THEIR CHARITY OF CHOICE.

Led by leen sadder

@sadderday #atypicaltype is on fire! #tasmeem3ajeeb

@emanzoo What this week has been like. So much sugar everywhere. #tasmeem3ajeeb

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / b a m b oo

IN #BAMBOOBIKEBUILDING , PARTICIPANTS WORKED ALONGSIDE ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP FRAME-BUILDERS TO CONSTRUCT USABLE BICYCLES OUT OF BAMBOO, A RAPIDLY RENEWING, SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE.

Led by crai g calf ee

“You have a good eye for this!”

C R A IG CA LFEE

@VCUQatar Hana signs her handiwork in the Bamboo Bicycle workshop #tasmeem3ajeeb

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / b a n d s

PARTICIPANTS IN #DIYBATTLEOFTHEBANDS USED EVERYDAY OBJECTS TO CREATE NONSENSICAL OUTCOMES WITH VISUALS AND SOUND THAT WERE PERFORMED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC COMPETITION ON FESTIVAL DAY.

Led by ben k i nsley

#festivalday #DIYbattleofthebands

@tomrloftus Team Virus wins! #tasmeem3ajeeb #DIYbattleofthebands #liveperformances

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / f a c e p a i n t e d

#FACEPAINTEDPEOPLE EXPLORED TRADITIONAL FACE PAINTING OF THE PEKING OPERA. PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT SYMBOLISM, EXPERIMENTED WITH VARIOUS TECHNIQUES AND PHOTOGRAPHED THEMSELVES IN UNEXPECTED SETTINGS.

Led by Ai ladi co rtell e t t i and G a o M ing bo

#facepaintedpeople

#process #facepaintedpeople

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / a r c h i t e c t u r e

t a s m e e m d oh a . c om / f l oa t i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e

#process #floatingarchitecture

#process #floatingarchitecture

tas me e mdo ha.co m/o ri gam i

#HEYAORIGAMI TAUGHT PARTICIPANTS THE TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES OF ORIGAMI AND ENCOURAGED THEM TO SCALE UP THE CRAFT BY CREATING A ROOM OR BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

Le d by Ky oko Ibe

“Material shows the meaning of nature— of the world, really.”

K YOK O IBE

#process #heyaorigami

tasme e mdo ha.co m/ho lei n o ne

#HOLEINONEMINIGOLF DELVED INTO THE DESIGN OF A PLAYABLE MINI GOLF HOLE WITH A FOCUS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF CREATIVE OBSTACLES. TEAMS COLLABORATED EXQUISITE CORPSE-STYLE FOR FUN RESULTS THAT WERE PLAYED ON FESTIVAL DAY.

Le d by R obin Schwartzman and T o m Lo ft us

“The thing we love about mini golf is that you can imagine yourself in a different world.�

TO M LOF TUS

@tomrloftus For a second I thought we lost our eye/pearl #minigolfmiddleeast

#process #holeinoneminigolf

#holeinoneminigolf

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / c a l l i g r a p h y

#LIGHTCALLIGRAPHY EXPLORED CONTEMPORARY LIGHT PAINTING USING PHOTOGRAPHY AS A MEDIUM. PARTICIPANTS COMBINED BODY MOVEMENTS, ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY, DANCE, ARCHITECTURE AND SOUND TO CREATE SURREAL IMAGES FROZEN IN TIME.

Led by ju li en breto n

#lightcalligraphy

#process #lightcalligraphy

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / M A G I C ST OR I ES

@basmahamdy Hassan discussing #wonderbox ideas with participants at the #tasmeem3ajeeb conference at #VCUQ @mahatategypt

@denielleemans Wonderbox workshop with #mahatat had some wonder-filled outcomes! #tasmeem3ajeeb #wonderbox

#process #thewonderbox

#process #thewonderbox

tas me e mdo ha.co m/f ashi ong ifs

IN #MAKINGANIMATEDGIFS , PARTICIPANTS CREATED ANIMATED GIF FASHION EDITORIALS. THE WORKSHOP CONSISTED OF BRAINSTORMING, RESEARCHING, SHOOTING AND EDITING GIFS. STRONG EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON CREATING QUALITY CONTENT WITH A FAST TURNAROUND.

Le d by R ee d + Rader

@matthewrader Photographing the student flip books from our workshop #tasmeem3ajeeb

#process #makinganimatedgifs

tas me e mdo ha.co m/ki nect

#MARIONETTEKINECT CREATED PLAYFUL INTERACTIONS THROUGH THE AMPLIFICATION OF BODY PARTS USING XBOX KINECT AND BODY TRACKING, WHICH ULTIMATELY BECAME USER EXPERIENCES.

Led by Tegan Bri sto w

#process #marionettekinect

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / i n t e r a c t i on

#DELIGHTFULINTERACTIONS IMPLEMENTED “POST-DIGITAL” TECHNOLOGIES TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT MACHINES, ENCOURAGING PARTICIPANTS’ EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT.

Led by ashley pi gf o r d

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / i n t e r a c t i on

#process #delightfulinteraction

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / m on e y

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / m on e y

#process #themoneychanger

#process #themoneychanger

#process #themoneychanger

tas me e mdo ha.co m/no madi cd o ll

#THENOMADICDOLL ENGAGED IN THE CREATION AND CUSTOMIZATION OF WHIMSICAL FABRIC DOLLS. PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED A RANGE OF TECHNIQUES AND THEMES, EVENTUALLY CREATING UNIQUE AND PERSONAL FIGURES.

Led by S te fan Messam

#process #thenomadicdoll

tas me e mdo ha.co m/zi ne

#NOWTHATSAZINE EXPLORED SELF-PUBLISHING, ZINEMAKING AND DISTRIBUTION. THE WORKSHOP USED DRAWING TECHNIQUES AND COMIC BOOK AESTHETICS TO CREATE SMALL, EXPERIMENTAL PUBLICATIONS MADE IN MULTIPLES USING THE RISO PRINTER.

Led by clown ki sses press

#process #nowthatsazine

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / p h on ot r op i a

#process #phonotrophia

tas me e mdo ha.co m/po rtra it

#PORTRAITMACHINE EXPLORED THE INTERSECTION OF THE HUMAN AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL. PORTRAITMAKING BECAME A HALFAUTOMATED PROCESS IN COMBINATION WITH HUMAN INTUITION AND EXECUTION.

Led by S tudio Mo ni ker

#process #portraitmachine

#process #portraitmachine

tas me e mdo ha.co m/praese nt ia

#PRAESENTIA COVERED STRATEGIES IN DRAWING AND CODE-DRIVEN INTERACTIVITY. PARTICIPANTS CREATED A SERIES OF COLLABORATIVE DRAWINGS, WHICH WERE THEN DIGITIZED AND BROUGHT INTO AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT.

Led by S o u gwen Chung and char lie w hit ne y

#process #praesentia

#process #praesentia

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / r ob ot s

#process #robotswithcharacter

#process #robotswithcharacter

#process #robotswithcharacter

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / sh oot

#SOWHATAREYOUGOINGTOSHOOT WAS A THREE-DAY JOURNEY THAT EXPLORED, CREATED AND SHOWCASED A COLLABORATIVE SHORT FILM. PARTICIPANTS CAME TO SEE LIFE AS ONE ROLL OF MOVING FILM IN WHICH EACH SHOT IS FASCINATING.

#process #sowhatareyougoingtoshoot

#process #sowhatareyougoingtoshoot

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / h ou se

#THEHOUSETHATKNEWTOOMUCH LOOKED AT THE FUTURE OF THINGS—CONSIDERING THE WEIRD, AWKWARD AND POTENTIALLY IRONIC RELATIONSHIPS THAT EMERGE WHEN AN APPLIANCE KNOWS PARTIAL, WRONG OR EVEN BIASED INFORMATION ABOUT ITS USER.

Led by Si mo ne Rebau d e ng o a nd M a t t hie u C he r ub ini

#process #thehousethatknewtoomuch

#process #thehousethatknewtoomuch

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / j e t p a c ks

#THEYPROMISEDUSJETPACKS ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHAT WILL THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL LOOK LIKE? USING REAL WORLD TRAVELER FEEDBACK, THE GROUP DESIGNED THE 22 ND-CENTURY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE.

Led by au to ban and q at a r air w a ys

#process #theypromisedusjetpacks

#process #theypromisedusjetpacks

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / t oky o

#process #3Dprintexchange

tas me e mdo ha.co m/so und

IN #TOUCHTHESOUND , PARTICIPANTS CREATED AN INTERACTIVE, TANGIBLE ORCHESTRA USING ARDUINO TECHNOLOGY BY CONSIDERING THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OBJECTS AND THE SOUNDS THEY EXPECT THEM TO MAKE.

Led by alessandro co nti ni

#process #touchthesound

tas me e mdo ha.co m/tablet e nnis

#TURNINGTHETABLES REDESIGNED THE STANDARD TABLE TENNIS “TABLE” TO SUBVERT, INVERT AND ALTOGETHER CHANGE, EXPECTATIONS OF HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED. CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING AND HANDS-ON APPROACHES RESULTED IN SURPRISING, COLLABORATIVE SCULPTURES.

Led by dustin lo ndo n

#process #turningthetables

tas me e mdo ha.co m/punchca r d k nit t ing

#PUNCHCARDKNITTINGMACHINES INTRODUCED PARTICIPANTS TO ONE OF THE PRECURSORS OF PERSONAL MANUFACTURING

BY EXPLORING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PUNCH-CARD KNITTING MACHINES ARE PIMPED OUT WITH NEW OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE.

Led by s e r pica naro

#process #punchcardknitting

t a sm e e m d oh a . c om / l i ve

3AJEEB MEMOR

B RIES

#inlandsea #landcruisercaravan #dunebashing

#inlandsea #sandtubing #floatingarchitecture

#sandtubing #inlandsea #floatingarchitecture

#desertcamp #gulfswim

#3ajeebwisdom

“We’ve become completely obsessed with falcons and they are all I can talk about.”

SO UGWEN CH U NG

#falcons #souqwaqif #tasmeem3ajeeb

#blacklightsale #vcuqatarshop

@reedandrader Fairly sure that Qatar is the most #YOLO place in the world. #tasmeem3ajeeb Goodbye Doha.

@JanDeCoster What a perfect end to an amazing week. Thanks a lot #tasmeem3ajeeb. I’ve made a lot of new friends here. #deserttrip

@tomrloftus We leave tomorrow. I’m both energized to be heading home to do work in the field of education and sad to have this experience come to an end. Our hosts and everyone at VCUQ were beyond generous to us. #minigolfmiddleeast

3ajeeb! co-chairs, students, colleagues and collaborators: THANK YOU for bringing to life a remarkable happening. May it be the beginning of lifelong friendships around the world.

Deans Joseph Seipel & Allyson Vanstone

CREDITS Co-Chairs

Technology Support

Tasmeem In The Classroom

Levi Hammett Michael Hersrud Richard Lombard Simone Muscolino

Barry Parham Jeromie De Leon John Burrow Marlon Villones Michael Aguda

Nathan Davis, Project Director & Publication Design Rachel Cohn, Exhibition Curator Laurids Sonne, Exhibition Curator

Balal Khan Mirza Baig

VCU Richmond Liaison Kimberly Guthrie

Participating Faculty: Arnold Kemp, Basma Hamdy, Cherif Amor, Della Reams, Denielle Emans, Diane Mikhael, Donald Earley, Henry C. Swartz, Hope Ginsburg, Jan Stefanski, Jesse Payne, Jon Rajkovich, Jorge Benitez, Kelly Alder, Lauren Thorson, Leigh Cole, Leslie Forehand, Levi Hammett, Li Han, Liam Colquhoun, Matthew Holmes-Dallimore, Melanie Richards, Michael-Birch Pierce, Michael Hersrud, Michael Perrone, Michael Wirtz, Miriam Ellen Ewers, Nathan Davis, Nicole Killian, Peter Baldes, Rab McLure, Rachel Cohn, Richard Lombard, Roberto Ventura, Robin Fetherston, Ruth Bolduan, Ryan Browning, Sage Lewis, Thomas Modeen, Zach Stensen

Event Photography

Student Coordination

Artist Mini Golf

Markus Elblaus Omer Mohammed Rachele Storai Raviv Cohen

Valerie Jeremijenko Feven Haddish Noor Al Oraidi

Ahmad Oustwani

Robin Schwartzman, Project Leader Tom Loftus, Project Leader John Burrow, Fabrication & Project Support Laurids Sonne, Fabrication & Project Support

MEDEA

3ajeeb! Studios

Muneera Spence Denielle Emans Diane Mikhael

Studio Leaders: Ailadi Cortelletti, Alberto Iacovoni, Alessandro Contini, Ashley Pigford, Astrid Thews, Ben Kinsley, Charlie Whitney, Clown Kisses Press, Craig Calfee, Dustin London, Gao Mingbo, Giovanni Innella, HĂŠctor Ayuso, Kyoko Ibe, Jan De Coster, Jim Le Fevre, Julien Breton, Leen Sadder, Manar Moursi, Matthieu Cherubini, Mohamed Hassan, Reed + Rader, Rim Aoude (Qatar Airways), Robin Schwartzman, Sougwen Chung, Serpica Naro, Simone Rebaudengo,

Events Manager Ashley Burton

Logistics Carmina Celeridad Imee Acosta

Concept Brand Development

Facilities & Security Michael John Arrighi Dana S. Rohani Lourdes Mangune

Registration

Daniel Sinclair Jordan Gushwa

Eman Ali Nadia Abu Dayeh Rebecca David

Communications & Design

Finance

Meike Kaan Haya Sayel Daher Moza Khalifa Al-Suwaidi Sara Jinan Shaaban

Sterling Daniel Jenina Angela Yong Lolwa Ibrahim Abdulla Malakah Akbar Balidaei Shaduli Thattan Valappil

Web Development

Annabel Armstrong-Clarke, Coordination & Digital Archive

Video Documentation The Film House

Social Media Lauren Maas Michele Aquila, Tweetbook Rachele Storai, Tweetbook

Interior & Environmental Design Maysaa Al-Mumin

Exhibitions Manager Nathalie Roy

Alumni Relations

Featured Presentations Pors & Rao, Opening Speakers Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, Special Guests Sandra Wilkins, Special Guests Moderator Casey Neistat, Closing Speaker

Stefan Messam, Studio Moniker, Tegan Bristow, Tom Loftus, Tokyo Maker, Zeynep Akten (Autoban) Studio Liaisons: Ali Khan, Annette Wendling-Willeke, Basma Hamdy, Catherine Chiuco, Cherif Amor, Denielle Emans, Diane Derr, Fatima Al-Kharaz, Fleming Jeffries, Haneen Al Sharif, James McPherson, Leland Hill, Mahmoud Abbas, Marco Bruno, Maryam Al Homaid, Michael Perrone, Muneera Spence, Narita Mattock, Noor Al Oraidi, Patricia Duignan, Peter Martin, Pornprapha Phatanateacha, Rachel Cohn, Raea West-Banks, Ryan Browning, Zach Stensen Fabrication Logistics: Shankar Padmanabhan, Tim De Voe

Shawarma Sessions Arend Küster, Moderator Speakers: Ailadi Cortelletti, Alberto Iacovoni, Alessandro Contini, Giovanni Innella, Jim Le Fevre, Julien Breton, Leen Sadder, Mahatat for contemporary art, Reed + Rader, Robin Schwartzman and Tom Loftus, Simone Rebaudengo, Tegan Bristow

Day OFFF Héctor Ayuso, Creative Director Nathalie Koutia, Presenter Mucho, Titles and Poster Speakers: Gavin Strange, Hungry Castle, Jan De Coster, Mucho, Sougwen Chung, Steve Simpson

Festival Day Joanna Dallimore, VCUQatar Shop & Pop-Up Market Marianne Bermejo, VCUQatar Shop & Pop-Up Market Anna Maria Skorek, Photo Booth

Special Thanks We are pleased and humbled by the generous support of individuals and organizations who made Tasmeem 3ajeeb! possible. In particular, we would like to thank Qatar Foundation, VCUQatar Dean Allyson Vanstone and VCUarts Dean Joe Seipel.

Alisha Saiyed, Amirah Natsheh, Arend Küster, Carmina Celeridad, Dana El Ahdab, Diane Mikhael, Ebtesam Mohammed Al-Hothi, Emelina Soares, Farah Zamri, Farzana Abedin, Geetha Rajeswar, Imee Acosta, Jill Blondin, Laurids Sonne, Mark Bermejo, Mohammed Ali Abdulghafoor, Mohammad Jawad, Nathan Davis, Polie Breda Campiteli, Rabeya Kh, Rachel Cohn, Shankar Padmanabhan, Theekshani Perera, Tim De Voe, VCU Globe Students and Staff, Wanoun Yaqoob, Yasmeen Gul Khan, Zoe Hawk Sponsors: Qatar Airways, Carbon Wheels, Doha Marriott Hotel, Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels Vendors: Karak Mqanes, Qatar Industrial Foam and Furniture Company, Shawarma Grill House, Toscana Ventures

Publication Credits The Tasmeem Doha 2015 post-publication, Take Me With You, has been published by the VCUQatar Office of Communications.

Meike Kaan Executive Director of Communications and External Relations mckaan@vcu.edu

Art Director Sara Jinan Shaaban

Designers Haya Sayel Daher Moza Khalifa Al-Suwaidi

Editor Lauren Maas

Production Printec Solutions This publication incorporates repurposed paper from surplus Tasmeem In The Classroom and Tasmeem 3ajeeb! Program publications making it the final artifact of the 3ajeeb! brand. The design reflects VCUQatar’s continuing efforts toward sustainable production practices.

Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar Publication Š 2015