Doha: The France goalpost, which is one of the art installations that can be seen across Doha, brilliantly captures the sailing dhow boats against a backdrop of The Pearl waters. What’s more intriguing is it whispers a poetry in Arabic and French languages.
This is part of the ‘Posts of Qatar’ which Qatar Tourism unveiled in November located at the 10 most iconic landmarks in the country.
Among the eye-capturing installations is the “Sails, Moving Forward,” France goalpost by Guillaume Rouseré and Maryam Faraj Al Suwaidi at The Pearl-Qatar.
Al Suwaidi explained to The Peninsula the significance of the artwork to Qatar’s culture and the main message to visitors who will see the installation. “The artwork highlights the essence of cultural collaboration between the different backgrounds.”
A shimmering metallic dhow sail is depicted on the goalpost. However, if you get a little closer, you’ll start to hear poetry being whispered in both Arabic and French, which the sails themselves reflect and amplify.
Rouseré, a French sound artist said that their artwork is “inspired by multiculturalism and provides an experience to help understand more about the different interpretations of shifting sounds and visuals. It really is an intriguing experience!.”
“The artwork is an extension of one of Guillaume’s old works, Sonic, which I managed to translate with visual recombination. When I started working with Guillaume, I realized the level of simplicity he takes to accentuate the aural experience in his work.
"Therefore, I focused on maintaining this clarity to highlight the importance of the perceptual experience with the viewer, the surrounding environment, and, most importantly, the auditory experience, where sound experience is the primary tool for communicating with the audience,” Al Suwaidi explained.
She narrated that they used the reflective iron materials to give the simplified form a dynamic aspect. “The simple structure was a beautiful coincidence of flowing sails that made the perfect megaphone, or platform, for the sonic art, and so did the modernised dynamism of the form that supported my overarching vision of our cultural background.”
On Qatar’s growing dynamic art and cultural scene, Al Suwaidi said: “Qatar became a global example of how art and culture can be the country’s beating heart. Every corner expresses a different side of its individuality, and every act of its social actors supports its dynamism and movement. I won’t say what lies ahead, but I can imagine a bright future filled with creativity and innovation.”
In total, two goalposts were designed by Qatari artists, while the remaining eight were produced by artists from countries that had won the World Cup tournament in the past: England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Each art installation was made by a single artist or a pair of artists.
