Curated by UCL-Qatar graduates Alkindi al-Jawabra and Louisa Brandt,

the HBKU exhibition takes an analytical view on doing away with the

city’s roundabouts and its cultural implications. By Umer Nangiana

Rituals, traditions, habits of the inhabitants or simply the objects commanding compliance for an extended period of time go on to develop into a culture. These values pass from one generation to the other and form a cultural identity of a certain landscape. Or do they not?

The people innately develop affiliations or bonds with their land or the objects of their cultural affinities. However, these identities often undergo evolution or some simply disappear. Do they leave a vacuum behind? What comes of it? Do people notice the change? How do they react?

The gradual disappearance of roundabouts, which many regard as objects of cultural heritage; and their replacement with traffic lights in Qatar over the past few years makes a perfect case study to evaluate these and similar questions.

If you approach one of the sites where these roundabouts once used to be and you feel a change in the air about yourself, then you might also be interested in knowing the reasons to this alteration in the course of your heartbeats.

Curious? Head to Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Student Centre Art Gallery one of these days and witness the ‘Heritage, Research and Art’ Exhibition. You would find you are not alone. There have been many before you affected by the change and some of them have actually endeavoured to find answers. The others have simply put forward their feelings.

The HBKU exhibition curated by a young duo of fresh art graduates of University College of London (UCL-Qatar) in Museum and Gallery Practice, Alkindi al-Jawabra and Louisa Brandt, deals with the questions and issues related to cultural heritage. The two have been managing the gallery for the past one year.

“This exhibition engages with the complex concept of heritage value by combining academic research with artistic perspectives and it uses the disappearing roundabouts in Doha and their replacement with traffic lights as a case study,” said the curators.

It displays students and others’ research work on the topic besides showcasing the artwork themed around the same concept. The exhibition has on display a giant roadmap that illustrates the research work of UCL-Qatar Heritage Research project by students focusing mainly on three big roundabouts in Doha, the Sports Roundabout, Al Mirqab Roundabout and Dar Al Kutub Roundabout.

The students involved with the UCL-Qatar research project use various methodologies such as interviews, questionnaires, archival research and on-site observation to elicit potential heritage values attached to roundabouts in the city.

Using an inter-disciplinary perspective, the students engaged with a range of relevant research methodologies used by heritage specialists. Carried out between September 2013-January 2014, the projects incorporates stories, anecdotes, attitudes, opinion, micro histories and collective narratives about the three target roundabouts collected from various stakeholders having different opinions on what constitutes culture. 

The exhibition also features a snapshot of the works of researcher Marjorie Kelly. It is a photo archive of disappearing roundabout sculptures in the region created by Kelly through her travels in the Gulf.

“In my travels throughout Gulf over the past five years, I have created a photo archive of these artworks. In doing so, I have become increasingly aware that a time may soon come when photos will be our only record of the roundabout sculptures,” Kelly said about her collection.

“How many of the ones displayed in the exhibit do you recognise? How many are now gone? With which ones do you identify?” questions the researcher. Kelly goes on to explain the nature of every roundabout sculpture and its regional identity. 

Opposite to the research illustrations and findings, you would find black-and-white images of buildings demonstrating Qatar’s cultural heritage with colourful scaffoldings printed over them. These are works of visual artist Urvashi Gaekwad.

The acclaimed artistic duo of Chrissto & Andrew’s work is also part of the exhibition. Overall, it concerns the complex concept of cultural heritage and what constitutes heritage values.

Urvashi Gaekwad, a visual artist, in her work explores the notion of shifting and mutating identities by creating an artistic intervention that superimposes a globalised visual culture on traditional imagery.

Through the exhibition of her work, she said, she would like to inform that the cutlural heritage gives people the unique identity keeping them personally connected and invested in their region. It helps foster growth unique to them and hence by perserving it prevents people from melting into human mass of abstract obscurity.

“As an artist I am interested in questioning and exploring the notion of shifting or mutating identities. Qatar is a perfect example of this conundrum where powerful traditional imagery, which lies in its cultural heritage, is overtaken or submerged by new contemporary images which are universally accepted,” said Urvashi in her synopsis.

By doing works of intervention where there is an immersive, invasive and contrasting element and sensibility, Urvashi said she would attempt to address the confrontational nature of the two spaces or identities.

“Older images loaded with cutlural, geographical and historical implications and references while superimposing “globalised” images that seem very sterile and general which is indicative of a loss of culture and history and hence character,” she added.    

Urvashi is from India. She received her BFA from Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), Baroda in 1996. She also did her Diploma in Printmaking from MSU in 1997 and received the Gujarat Lalit Kala Academy Award in Painting in 1995.

From 2006-2008 she was an Art teacher with DMIS, Doha. Since 2011, she has been working with the QTF (Qatar Tennis Federation) on a project for the Qatar Olympic Museum. She has participated in several workshops and exhibitions in India and Qatar.

Artist duo Christto & Andrew is inspired by the interplay between the present, the permanent and the temporary. The sculptural installation Permanent Temporalities, questions to what extent technology becomes a factor for the replacement of heritage.

Permanent Temporalities reflects upon moments in Qatar’s socio-economic history after the discovery of oil in the country. The materials used in the installation correspond to Qatar’s architectural landscape where there is interplay of presence, permanence and temporality.

“Previously, roundabouts were essential markers of navigation, popular ornamental landmarks and meeting points for exchange for residents of Qatar,” said the artist duo in the introduction of their artwork.

Christto Sanz received a BA from the School of Fine Arts, Puerto Rico before completing his Master in Visual Communication & photography from Elisava, Spain. Andrew Weir holds a BBA from Universtitat Ramon Llull, Spain and is currently completing an MA in Museum & Gallery Practice at University College London’s branch in Qatar.

Together they produce photography, mixed media objects and videos exploring social identities, the media and reinterpretations of history.

The Puerto Rican and South African duo currently resides and works in Doha. Their art has been shown in the Middle East, the United States of America (USA), Central America and Europe.

An excerpt adapted from MA dissertation ‘A Roundabout Approach to Encountering Heritage in Qatar’ by John McNally, MA Museum and Gallery Practice, UCL-Qatar has also been put on display in the exhibition. It sheds light on the importance of roundabouts and expands on the debate concerning roundabouts as objects of cultural heritage.

The exhibition is open till September 23.