Maryam Alkhater - VCUarts Qatar Showcase

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Maryam Alkhater

Contacts

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Before and After the Shift

One Qatari Riyal, From Fourth to Fifth Edition

The banknotes examine how the one Qatari riyal reveals a structural shift in state imagery, visible through a comparison between the fourth and fifth issues. The transition from more diffuse visual elements to clearer national symbols marks a deliberate change in how the State of Qatar represents itself.

While this shift can be identified through close visual analysis, its broader significance lies in how it was absorbed through everyday circulation. As the banknote moved continuously through routine transactions, this transformation became normalized without requiring conscious attention from users.

The work therefore focuses on the relationship between visual change and lived experience, where repetition plays a key role in embedding meaning. By bringing two banknotes together, the project makes this shift visible while also emphasizing how it operates within daily life.

In this way, the banknote functions as a visual object and a material structure shaping perception and collective memory over time across different social contexts.

OBJECT

MAP

Maryam Alkhater

Art History 2026

The banknotes examine how the one Qatari riyal reveals a structural shift in state imagery, visible through a comparison between the fourth and fifth issues. The transition from more diffuse visual elements to clearer national symbols marks a deliberate change in how the State of Qatar represents itself.

While this shift can be identified through close visual analysis, its broader significance lies in how it was absorbed through everyday circulation. As the banknote moved continuously through routine transactions, this transformation became normalized without requiring conscious attention from users.

The work therefore focuses on the relationship between visual change and lived experience, where repetition plays a key role in embedding meaning. By bringing two banknotes together, the project makes this shift visible while also emphasizing how it operates within daily life.

In this way, the banknote functions as a visual object and a material structure shaping perception and collective memory over time across different social contexts.

Tags

Identity
Visual Culture

Before and After the Shift

One Qatari Riyal, From Fourth to Fifth Edition

Maryam Alkhater

Art History 2026

Tags

Identity
Visual Culture

The banknotes examine how the one Qatari riyal reveals a structural shift in state imagery, visible through a comparison between the fourth and fifth issues. The transition from more diffuse visual elements to clearer national symbols marks a deliberate change in how the State of Qatar represents itself.

While this shift can be identified through close visual analysis, its broader significance lies in how it was absorbed through everyday circulation. As the banknote moved continuously through routine transactions, this transformation became normalized without requiring conscious attention from users.

The work therefore focuses on the relationship between visual change and lived experience, where repetition plays a key role in embedding meaning. By bringing two banknotes together, the project makes this shift visible while also emphasizing how it operates within daily life.

In this way, the banknote functions as a visual object and a material structure shaping perception and collective memory over time across different social contexts.

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