IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A
Abstract
This talk will introduce the exhibition “Mapping Migration Memories” in Msheireb Museums’s Company House in Doha, Qatar and will explore the relationship between Heritage Spaces, ICH research and community engagement through art and design. Mapping Migration Memories is the result of a multi-year research project developed by (IN)>Tangible Lab, under the Institute for Creative Research at VCUarts Qatar. Gathering and using existing archived and recorded memories, photos, films and oral histories, the exhibition captures the historical biannual nomadic movements between the desert and the sea in Qatar. Embarking on two expeditions to the desert in 2022, the installation offers audiences the opportunity to re-enact the expeditions and migrations in the North and South through an evocative landscape within the Company House that fuses memory with real soundscapes and a call for heritage preservation though embodiment. “Mapping Migration Memories” emphasizes the importance of intangible practices and oral traditions so often lost in rapidly developing societies, and serves as a call to capture generational and local ecological knowledge. Msheireb Museum’s Company House encapsulates several of the themes explored in “Mapping Migration Memories”. It serves as a dedicated space for preserving the oral histories of Qatari pioneers while spotlighting the enduring significance of indigenous knowledge in shaping the development of modern Qatar. The collaboration between the (IN)>Tangible Lab and Msheireb Museums is particularly focused on community engagement and is using this site specific art installation for artist talks and ICH workshops, activating the heritage space with art and design for the public.
Astrid Kensinger uses her personal practice to inform her multidisciplinary research collaborations. She interweaves information visualization, cartographic performance and performance art with graphic design to visually articulate site specific narratives, intangible heritage, contemporary issues and the map as art. She has exhibited and presented internationally in solo and group shows, in juried exhibitions and conferences. She has shown or staged works in the USA, UK, Australia, Asia, Europe & MENA. Astrid is PI of (IN)›Tangible Lab & the Chair of Graphic Design at VCUArts Qatar.
Shaima Sherif is a trained archaeologist and public engagement specialist currently residing in Qatar. She has spent the last ten years dedicating her time to her passion for public engagement in the heritage sector through her professional roles and personal time. Her research interests lie in how indigenous communities feel about their tangible heritage and, more recently, intangible heritage.
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Tuesday 16th July, 2024