Media Majlis Museum show explores the problems and prospects of Arabic

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Northwestern University in Qatar’s (NU-Q) Media Majlis Museum (mm:museum) is presenting “The limits of my language are the limits of my world”, a new exhibition curated by cultural producer and Northwestern Qatar alumna Amal Zeyad Ali (Aug. 27 - December 5). The mixed-media show explores the subject matter of Arabic language, its imprints from the past, its multifaceted present and perhaps precarious future. “The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern Qatar is a distinctive space within Education City to house critical dialogue, explore current themes, and connect academic research with public discourse on the arts, sciences and crafts of media. Through alumna Amal Zeyad Ali’s curation, our goal is to bring the culture, beauty and nuance of the Arabic language to the fore to our expanding audiences,” said Northwestern University in Qatar Dean and CEO, Marwan M. Kraidy.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world” exhibition explores the Arabic language’s significance, influence and impact as it battles misrepresentation across various media platforms in a digital and globalised age where English is increasingly dominant. As one of the most widely spoken languages, used daily by over 400 million people, Arabic has united people across diverse nationalities and backgrounds, while demonstrating rich nuances due to its many dialects and formats. The language throughout history has influenced tastes, perceptions and narratives globally in domains such as politics, social relations, trade and science. It is more than the lingua franca of the Arab world; it shapes the collective and individual identities of its speakers.

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However, in a digital and globalised age, the language battles misrepresentation across various media platforms. Therefore, the exhibition encourages visitors to question how Arabic can be a prominent language in the future and whose responsibility it is to realise this, from policy makers to the media to educators. “We are thrilled to present this exhibition, which provides visitors with a interactive experience (on) the evolution and preservation of the Arabic language,” said Alfredo Cramerotti, Director of mm:museum. “Our goal is to ignite discussions on its preservation and future …”

Curator Amal Zeyad Ali said the exhibition is designed to stimulate community discussions about the language. “Arabic is a beautiful, diverse and complex language, but battles with misrepresentation, fragmentation, and limitations. (This exhibition), from physical objects to commissioned artworks and digital content, contains and amplifies multifaceted voices. I hope this is a start to breaking beyond those limits.” The variety of content on display, it is hoped, will encourage visitors to engage with interactive elements, including animations, comedy skits, music videos, news reports, and talk shows. The exhibition includes commissioned artworks from Simon Mortimer (United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia-based), Hala Amer (Jordan, Qatar-based), Karim Jabbari (Tunisia), Zainab Alsabba (Bahrain), and Hussein Alazaat (Syria, Jordan-based), and holographic animations exploring the beauty of Arabic by designer Yusef Alahmad (Saudi Arabia).

 The facade of Northwestern University in Qatar.

Spoken word performances by poets Salwa Sadek (Egypt-Australia) and Dana Dajani (Palestine) exploring the subject of identity, will be in dialogue with contemporary Arabic language used by young content creators, social media influencers and YouTubers. Among them, Salam Katanani (Jordan), Qasem Elhato (Jordan), Hebah Nigm (Egypt, Austria-based) and Cynthia Abou Khalil (Lebanon, Qatar-based), will answer questions about what it means to create content in Arabic and debate its impact on young audiences.

Visitors are prompted to investigate media representations of the language not only digitally, but through physical content in a world where English is a controlling language. Lenders of digital content include Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic and Al Araby TV. Content also includes music videos, comedy skits from the American Maz Jobrani and Mo Amer, animations from Qatar Foundation, documentaries and talks from TED and TEDx. Plus, the exhibition includes a wide array of books, photographs, magazines, newspapers and hardware.

To delve deep into the subject matter of Arabic in the media and garner perspectives of key players, a filmed debate titled “Where do you stand?”, moderated by stand-up comedian and presenter Hamad Al-Amari (Qatar), features Asmahan Qarjouli (Palestinan-Jordan), Sara Al-Afifi (Qatar), Basma Hamdy (Egypt), Falafel Kimchi (Korea/Canada) , Abdulla Gamil (Sudan) and Menatalla Ibrahim (Egypt). Accompanying the exhibition is a special edition of the museum’s publication, Voices and Conversation, titled “The beauty, complexity and diversity of Arabic proverbs and sayings”, featuring a foreword by Dean Kraidy and an afterword by Director Cramerotti.

Simultaneously, the museum will also organise a public programme in collaboration with afikra, a global community dedicated to cultivating curiosity around the histories and cultures of the Arab World, focusing on the use of the Arabic in storytelling. It takes place on October 26 and features panel discussions, performances and activations by local and regional voices. Amal Zeyad Ali is a museum curator and cultural producer based in Qatar. She is the Curatorial Exhibition Manager at The Media Majlis and was previously the Programs Associate.  Alfredo Cramerotti is a cultural entrepreneur working at the intersection of contemporary art, media and technology. He has written extensively on contemporary art and media theory and is the author of five books.

mm:museum at Northwestern Qatar is dedicated to transcending the traditional role of museums by inspiring innovation through the intersection of art, communication, and technology. It is the Arab world’s only museum dedicated to media and communication. Northwestern University in Qatar, founded in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, has distinguished programmes in communication, journalism, strategic communication, and the liberal arts.