colloquium: global asia: cultural and creative practices from the periphery

Global Asia: Cultural and Creative Practices from the Periphery

Colloquium organized by the GA:MA Lab (VCUarts Qatar) with the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

May 7 2024, 10 AM-4 PM
Doha Institute for Graduate Studies
Academic Building, Floor 1 Room FF001

The event brought together scholars, artists, and students for a dynamic day of interdisciplinary dialogue centered on history, memory, migration, and cultural expression. The program opened with a warm welcome and introduction by Neelima Jeychandaran and Monica Merlin from VCUarts Qatar, followed by introductory remarks by Dr. Amal Gazal, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. The first session, Prepping, Mapping, and Making Histories, explored the intersections of food, art, and cartography, featuring presentations on the language between mothers and daughters in the Asian diaspora and the global production of geographical knowledge through Mongolian mapping traditions. Session two, Migrant Stories and Resonant Memories, highlighted powerful narratives through visual art and music, addressing untold migrant experiences and the role of memory and mobility in post-revolutionary Nepal. Session three examined Material Cultures and Histories of Placemaking, focusing on displacement, temporariness, and urban architecture, with case studies ranging from Al Baluche Camp in Doha to the city of Sanaa. The fourth session, Crafting Stories, Videolands, and Unusual Archives, showcased innovative approaches to cultural preservation through typography design and the revisiting of video stores as sites of collective memory. The day concluded with a closing discussion, allowing participants to reflect on how histories, identities, and cultural memories are shaped, preserved, and reimagined across global contexts.