Qatar is gearing up for a significant art revival in the form of exhibits, installations, and a variety of other activities as it prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2020 next month. Here are four brand-new exhibits that just opened this week.
Pop-up Studios: Back to the Future
Professionals from the creative sectors will congregate in a brand-new Fereej (village) called “Back to the Future: Pop-up Studios.” The program is a component of Qatar Creates, a year-round national cultural movement that highlights the variety of cultural events taking place in Qatar and promotes them.
Up to January 23, 2023, Fereej Al-Najada will be home to seven historic homes where creatives from Qatar may showcase their work to World Cup attendees via open studios, exhibits, digital installations, and retail outlets.
Fahad Al-Obaidly, the director of Fereej Al-Najada, coordinated the activation with the intention of igniting discussion on Qatar’s creative heritage by showcasing what the Qatari creative medium “was, what it is, and what it may become.”
The area will be authentically Qatari, with historical architecture and design, as well as the work of local artisans.
2030 Art Mill Museum
Over the next ten years, three significant new museums, including the Art Mill, will open in Qatar. The future direction of this museum will be shown in the exhibition “Art Mill Museum 2030.”
Al-Najada Heritage House #15, built in the 1990s, and the site of the flour mill built in the 1990s on Doha’s Corniche will both host exhibitions of “Art Mill Museum 2030.”
Each location will feature distinct facets of the growth of the Art Mill Museum and be open to the public without charge.
Lusail Museum’s Chronicles of a Connected World exhibit
“Lusail Museum: Tales of a Connected World,” a unique exhibition that serves as a sneak peek at yet another brand-new museum, is on display at QM Gallery Al-Riwaq. The exhibition, which is a part of Qatar Creates and runs until April 1, 2023, will include designs for the Lusail Museum’s architecture and top-notch art collection.
The Herzog & de Meuron-designed Lusail Museum building will be built in Lusail, the hometown of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, the man who founded the state of Qatar.
The exhibition “Lusail Museum: Tales of a Connected World” will focus on Lusail’s history, present, and future. There will be 247 items on the display.
“Safar”: A display showing the difficulties faced by Afghan refugees
“Safar,” a temporary exhibition highlighting the experiences of Afghan refugees following their evacuation in 2021, was unveiled by Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Islamic Art in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MIA Park will host the exhibition until January 24, 2024.
Al-Thani mentioned Qatar’s role in one of the largest air evacuation operations in history during the ceremony’s opening address. He also emphasized the coordinated efforts of all relevant authorities in the nation to facilitate the evacuation of more than 80,000 Afghan citizens and foreign nationals.
In order to illuminate the distinct tales and challenges of Afghan refugees after the evacuation, the exhibition examines their experiences from a primary viewpoint. The show also emphasizes the significance of Afghanistan as a long-standing hub of outstanding scholarship and creative creativity.