Lawal In 360° Photographs: Qatar’s Culture Through the Lens of A Digital Collection of Functional Objects

Abstract

This project is designed to curate functional objects found in Qatari homes of the twentieth century and present them through a digital narrative. The featured items are tangible products of human creativity, either locally created or imported. The aim of the project is to explore the significance of these objects and artefacts for Qatar’s culture, as well as investigating their life cycle. This analysis will allow us to trace the transition of tangible cultural heritage from functional to displayable. The outcome of this project is presented as a website which displays a series of cultural objects in a rotating 360° degree GIF and short clips. Each object is accompanied by a short bilingual description about its materials, use, and a colloquial Arabic name. In addition to a detailed account of the process, the thesis provides a succinct literature review on digital heritage, an outline of methodology, and a discussion of findings. The project contributes to the ongoing process of documenting and curating Qatar’s tangible heritage by means of digital technologies, thereby advancing the preservation, knowledge and understanding of Qatar’s culture in the twentieth century. The website creates a space where users can explore cultural objects. It evokes gentle nostalgic feelings as it reminds us of how life keeps changing, and familiar everyday objects disappear from our lives.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science