The idea for the first Tasmeem dates back to 2003, about the time of the first graduating class of the Shaqab College for Designing Arts, VCUarts Qatar’s initial presence in Education City. Envisioned as a platform to discuss the role of design in the city and the region, the first edition, known simply as Tasmeem Doha, ran in 2004.
From 2004 to 2009, the event ran annually, before changing to a biannual format, which it has held since 2011. In all there have been 13 Tasmeem Doha events.
Tasmeem has always been about ideas – sharing knowledge from all around the world on topics relevant to the practice of design. But Tasmeem doesn’t exist solely in people’s minds, it has left a material record as well. Since the very beginning, there have been workshops that sought to convert these ideas into doing and making, leading to practical solutions for real-world concerns.
In the exhibition, Tasmeem Reconstructed, you will find an assemblage of some of the output of Tasmeem Doha’s past – posters, publications, workshop results, and other keepsakes/memorabilia that are tangible reminders of Tasmeem Doha’s past — and presence.
