The Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC) is excited to provide a lineup of fresh exhibitions, open calls for artists, and free public events that explore technology’s changing place in the arts. Two new contemporary art exhibitions and an annual open call for young and mid-career artists are among the QAIC’s upcoming offerings, which were organized in conjunction with cultural partners in Qatar and the United States, such as Qatar Museums and VCUarts Qatar.
The Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC) is a 501(c)(3) independent non-profit organization that develops, curates, and implements research projects and initiatives to increase the visibility of all genres of art and culture from the United States, Qatar, and the greater Arab and Islamic cultures.
The Research Labs exhibition from VCUarts Qatar, which will open on February 2 and feature ground-breaking work from eleven teams of faculty, students, and alumni, will mark the beginning of QAIC’s 2023 exhibition calendar. In addition to initiatives on Arabic and cultural typography, art law, nanotechnology and textiles, product design, and other topics, the show highlights a cross-section of joint research. Research Labs will be on display through the summer of 2023, and associated open events will be announced. The launch of the exhibition also heralds QAIC’s participation in the monthly ArtWalk Dupont, which is run by the Dupont Circle BID. Every third Thursday of the month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, QAIC will be open and welcome guests to observe Research Labs, the Perfumery Museum, and upcoming exhibitions.
QAIC will publish the details of its third annual IMPART Artist Grant Open Call later in February. One of the main tenets of QAIC’s ideology is the empowering of artists and the connecting of creatives. In keeping with this, the 2023 IMPART Artist Grant open call will invite submissions from early-career and mid-career visual artists working in any media to develop a fresh body of work or series that examines the interaction between technology and the arts. Three artists will be chosen by a renowned committee of professionals to receive the award, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize and an exhibition at QAIC later in the year.
An “Art of Athletics Festival” for all ages will be held on February 14 at QAIC in person and online. The focus of the entire day’s schedule will be Qatar National Sports Day, a day set aside to honor both culture and athletics. Additionally, it will feature components that showcase the cultural legacies of the 2022 FIFA World Cup QatarTM, as well as opportunities to learn about esports, robotic camel jockeying, and more.
Pearls of Wonder: a Digital Era, a multi-sensory exhibition, will debut in March at QAIC. The exhibition, which explores the long history of pearl diving in Qatar through a modern lens, is organized by Dr. Bahaaeldin Abudaya, Curator of Contemporary Art, Qatar Museums. It includes audio, video, and VR works by five contemporary Qatari artists. In addition, QAIC will welcome a group to Doha that will concentrate on scent, a separate branch of art. Eight participants will travel to Doha for a 5-day comprehensive educational experience to learn about both traditional and modern olfactory art methods.
The convergence between technology and the arts will be the theme of QAIC in 2023. Executive Director of QAIC Fatima Al-Dosari remarked, “Our goal as a cultural centre is to develop entertaining events that celebrate all kinds of art. Technology has an impact on how we make and perceive art today, whether it be through visual or olfactory art. I’m delighted to present a varied selection of exhibits and events that will add to the vital conversation about the expanding and dynamic role of technology in the arts.”
