twelve instigations for a becoming middle east

DATE:  2016

PROJECT LOCATION: Middle East; Exhibited at Gund Hall Experiments Wall in Cambridge, Ma

PROGRAM:  research and design exhibition

 

Amalgamating the work of twelve students from various programs, different years, and diverse backgrounds, this exhibition addresses the circumstances confronting the Middle East at a critical time in its history. The student work addresses the region in its present condition, examining pivotal issues that impact and transcend the region itself. The variety of research projects exposes and understands the Middle East in a multifaceted and interdisciplinary manner. Looking at several scales, perspectives, and materialities, the projects generate an understanding of the region that is critical and collective, but not uniform.

The exhibition came, in part, from a thesis group organized by Medina, the GSD’s Arab student organization. This exhibition brings together the thoughts and criticisms from the group’s semi-private conversations. The aim is to engage the issues and context in question, and to provoke school-wide discussions on matters central to the disciplines in which the research has been carried out. These disciplines range from architecture to planning and from landscape to energy and practice. The exhibit collects work from across the GSD, broadening its scope by including relevant projects completed within specific classes, seminars, and studios.