Looking Back at Tasmeem Doha Podcast Season Two
afikra has collaborated with VCUarts Qatar to produce two seasons of the Tasmeem Doha podcast. Each season of the podcast takes its cue from the conference’s annual theme. In line with 2022’s theme “Radical Futures”, season one of the podcast explored the future of design, decolonization and education in the Arab world, as well as the future of the Arab Script, the Arabic language and the Arab image.
Season two of the Tasmeem Doha podcast is all about celebrating the 25th anniversary of VCUarts Qatar’s campus in Doha through the theme of “Under Construction”. It brings together voices from the past, present and future of various disciplines involved in the conference and the design and art spaces in the Arab World.
Tasmeem Doha: Under Construction 2024
via VCUarts Qatar
Tasmeem Doha is a biennial international conference that focuses on unique and contemporary themes in art and design.
The 2024 edition of the conference had the theme “Under Construction” and focussed on investigating the criticality of change and the role of art and design within that change. “Under Construction” is also a metaphor for creative research as well as a celebration and investigation of transformation. The theme also references a state that Doha has found itself in for decades: a state of transformation and flux that has had an impact on its residents.
Aligning with VCUart Qatar’s 25th year in Doha, this year is the festival’s 13th edition. As such, the temporality of change, the persistence of memory, and their impact on our collective futures is a prominent feature of the program.
Tasmeem Doha Podcast: Season Two
Here’s a brief look at each of the episodes and the featured guests that make up season two of the Tasmeem Doha x afikra podcast.
Basma Hamdy x Peter Martin
Basma Hamdy, the co-director of Tasmeem Doha 2022, and Peter Martin, one of the conference’s original co-directors, discuss the birth of Tasmeem Doha, and its evolution over the decades. They reflect on what it was like putting together the conference during COVID-19 and the influence it has had on them and their audience.
Michael Perrone x Leland Hill
Professors Michael Perrone and Leland Hill discuss the idea of 'non-traditional expression'. The conversation considers how Tasmeem Doha is a non-traditional design event and its exciting role as a shot of creative adrenaline for everyone who attends. Leland and Michael share what they see to be the conference's core impacts on the fields of art and design and map out its legacies over the years.
Richard Lombard
The conference's curator for this year dives into the theme and understand the creative and logistical realities of putting a conference like this together, and which audience he has in mind when planning. Richard shares various experiences of Tasmeem Doha over the years, how each iteration has been the unique brainchild of the individual curator, and his expectations for Tasmeem Doha 2024.
Mirna Bamieh
Artist Mirna Bamieh takes us around the world of fermentation and preservation. She explains the symbolism and role of fermentation in bringing attention to pressing world matters, and her fascination for the delicate balance between decay and "liveness". We discuss her work through Palestine Hosting Society, saving Palestinian recipes and their stories, and the precious food practices that they represent.
Hadeer Omar x Yasmeen Suleiman
Exploring the theme of ephemerality vs permanence, assistant professors at VCUarts Qatar Hadeer Omar and Yasmeen Suleiman reflect on Tasmeem Doha as a maverick event that has fundamentally transformed the region’s design scene. They describe how university life has been changed by the conference and what its temporary and permanent day-to-day legacies are.
Maysa Almumin
Associate professors Simone Moscholino and Maysaa Almumin discuss what metrics of success look like for Tasmeem Doha and the challenges it's able to take up. They also shed light on the fundamental role of the Art Foundation on the city, and share how Tasmeem Doha has impacted their own work and creative processes.
Wael Morcos
Wael Morcos, the founder of Morcos Key, tells us about the dos and don'ts of designing an Arabic typeface in 2024. He talks through the realities of such a task, about Nasri Khattar's influence with his unified Arabic typeface and whether there's a Comic Sans equivalent in Arabic.
Bradly Dunn Klerks
Bradly share his insights on the intersection between technology, the creative sector, couture and the arts. He talks us through the technicalities of 3D printing, shows us one of the first dresses to be 3D printed, and what it means to integrate orthodox and cutting edge technologies into the arts.
