VCUQatar gallery presents ‘Think Tank 2012’

The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar is pleased to present ‘THINK TANK 2012’. The interactive project, which runs from 1 to 20 February, 2012, is an opportunity for everyone interested in the Gallery at VCUQatar, as well as those interested in issues relating to the creation, display and viewing of art and design works generally, to come together and contribute to discussions surrounding these areas. The public is invited to participate.

Through informal discussions, focus groups and numerous feedback opportunities, it is hoped that ‘THINK TANK 2012’ will produce important information that can feed into the future development of the Gallery at VCUQatar, as well as help shape policy and procedure relating to issues of display and curatorship institution wide.

A public lecture by Nada Shabout, associate professor of Art History and director of Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Institute, University of North Texas, on 6 February, and performance by VCU Richmond student Egbert Vongmalaithong on 1 February were part of the events organized to make this a stimulating, inclusive and engaging process. Other ongoing activities include coffee mornings - which provide an opportunity for faculty and students to get together to raise ideas, continue discussions or just chat about issues they feel are important to this project – and a curatorial project, ‘Activate the Box’, led by VCU Richmond students Amber Esseiva and Vongmalaithong, running at the Education City Student Centre Gallery from 28 January to 20 February.

Until 20 February, the Gallery at VCUQatar will be open all day as a comfy, relaxed space that everyone is welcome to drop by to take some time out, share a coffee or even bring their lunch along. Numerous options are available to leave ideas, thoughts and feedback, including a white board wall, large ‘post-it’ notes and a comments box. “The Gallery space will therefore become an interactive ‘THINK TANK’, and the ideas displayed on the walls will become the exhibits,” says Caitlín Doherty, exhibition and speaker curator at VCUQatar.