Mashaq results from an ongoing research project, “The Type Platform – منصة الحروف”, studying the evolution of Arabic letterforms through their history of existence under the influences of changing technologies.

(Mashaq – مَشَقَ) in the heritage of Arabic calligraphy is the visual manifesto the master calligrapher passes on to his students, who follow his path in mastering precision when illustrating the letterforms.

The text was first conceived during 2020, when the world witnessed a global introduction into the concept “Home Office” and where the spaces of learning and working started to perforate the domestic. And so the text came as a response to imagine the future possibilities of creating hybrid spaces, shared with others, that allow for this model to work. On the other hand, it’s a satirical take on the current business model of mainstream “Co-working Spaces”. Which is why the text begins by asking the reader to discard the image that they recall when they read those words altogether and start anew as we create this speculative space in mind.

Co-working on Co-working is an open-source mode of thinking about working-learning-living possibilities whose ethos can be borrowed, adapted and implemented anywhere and everywhere, whether on the ground or on the web.

Maybe when the co-workings co-work,
They could network
To make their knowledge accessible,
To offer different makeups and setups,
Constantly propose and invent new ways of co-working.
Co-working that perforates living,
And living that perforates co-working.
To dedicate time for living,
To dedicate time for working,
To dedicate time for not working.

• Editor: Mai El Wakil
• English copy editor: Jenifer Evans
• Arabic copy editor: Aya Ehab
• Translation (English to Arabic): Hussein El-Hajj, Soheir Ragab El-Sharqawy, Ahmed Fathy Ismail
• Interlocutors: Sherifa Hamid and Ahmed Morsi (Dataland)
• Graphic Design: Youssef Salah and Engy Mohsen
• Drawing by: Omar Kassab

The aim of this project is to allow individuals to utilize their tactile senses to bridge the gap between them and their surroundings through creating accessible points within supermarkets. Tactile icons were created to represent information which would otherwise have to be seen visually. By presenting alternative representations for visual information, enable aids individuals in having a more individualistic and independent experience within an inclusive supermarket environment.

Thus, this project falls under The State of Change to present a new method of inclusion as well as a unified language which can be identified by a larger majority of individuals, regardless of their differences. It allows people to stop and think from others’ perspectives and realize that seemingly mundane daily practices are a privilege to some.

• 9th March & 10th March 2022, 9 AM – 12 PM
• Room 213
• Upon Registration Only

An online graffiti lesson, a vestural street art tour, a hands-on graffiti, and how to use street art/art in general, in a time of conflict. This is a masterclass with a renowned street artist. The team joins zoom calls on both days. The first day is an introduction to street art, its history, the artist & artist’s story. Everyone gets to develop their own tags. On the second day, we develop more tags and ideas to be used in a time of conflict and showcase these ideas together. This is followed by a Q & A and a general talk on art.

Participants are required to bring marker paper, pencils, erasers, sketching pens, and markers (such as Liquitex, Prismacolor, or similar).

This event is an in-person event for the VCUarts Qatar community only that will be streamed live. Members of the public are welcome to ask questions in a moderated chat, at the end of each session. Please use the registration button to register and receive a link to your chosen event.

• 9th March & 10th March 2022, 9 AM – 12 PM
• Room 284
• Upon Registration Only

This workshop is aimed to explore the future potentials of Arabic letterforms. By looking into the origin of Arabic letters and their evolution throughout history, the participants will have the opportunity to create letterforms influenced by external factors such as environment, technology, politics, religion, etc. This workshop is an opportunity for designers to push the boundaries of Arabic letters and create designs that are fun and experimental.

On the first day, participants will receive a deck of different categories such as environment, politics, economy, gender, space, technology, and religion for inspiration. In a brainstorming session, each participant will choose a year in the future. After creating their own future reality, they will design their chosen letter. On the second day of the workshop, participants will transfer their designed letterforms to linoleum pieces, and handprint them in a mini-zine.

This event is an in-person event for the VCUarts Qatar community only. Please use the registration button to register.

• 7th March & 8th March 2022, 9 AM – 12 PM
• Room 166
• Upon Registration Only

The workshop will begin with a discussion around the usage of typography in world-building practices. Participants will be introduced to the concept of asemic writing, a wordless open semantic form of writing, as a tool for questioning systems of meaning. Departing from this, the workshop will then include exercises in hand-lettering and typography design, where participants will be invited to imagine and visualize their own invented scripts. The results will then be compiled into a fictional digital typeface that will include the letterforms invented by the participants. We will then use this typeface to create custom artwork.

This event is an in-person event for the VCUarts Qatar community only. Please use the registration button to register.