Presentation Schedule
The Translation of Qatari National Identity at the National Museum of Qatar Through Verbal and Non-verbal Texts (86922)
Session Chair: Durojaiye Owoeye
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Friday, 1 November 2024 11:50
Session: Session 2
Room: Live-Stream Room 3
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation
– click here to convert to your timezone
Qatar is a small state whose population is traditionally divided into badu (desert dwellers) and hader (coast dwellers). However, the National Museum of Qatar (NMQ) aimed to remove this image of diversity in Qatari society, and replace it with one of social cohesion by presenting the Qatari people as having a single identity. It did this through its choice of location and architecture of the museum, and by the selection of objects, and their verbal and non-verbal texts. This study used semi-structured qualitative interviews to collect information from the NMQ curators on these four themes to reveal how the museum aimed to convey their desired picture of national identity. Firstly, all the curators agreed that the choice of the desert rose design, coupled with the location of the museum next to the sea and on the site of the Old Amiri Palace effectively conveys the fundamental duality of Qatari life. Secondly, according to the curators, the objects which were chosen for display represent life in the desert and on the coast as evidence to visitors that Qatari people lived a dual life depending on the season. Next, curators were engaged in the creation of labels, to ensure that both the Arabic and English texts accurately convey the intended image of national identity to visitors by referring to the Qatari people as ‘People of Qatar’ rather than Badu or Hader or the tribes’ names. Finally, the museum used multimedia to represent national identity in an inclusive way; for example, a large interactive model of the Qatar peninsula, shows traditional seasonal journeys, and oral history videos, where Qatari people share memories of their traditional lifestyle, deliver the idea of social cohesion in Qatari society.
Authors:
Maha Aladba, University of Geneva, Switzerland
About the Presenter(s)
Maha Rashid Aladba. Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of Geneva.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule
Conference Comments & Feedback
Place a comment using your LinkedIn profileShare this Presentation
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress