Qatar Foundation works to enrich art in Arab community

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation (QF) is releasing a documentary today, June 20, titled “Through the Archways of Art”, focusing on the public artwork and installations available throughout Education City.

Community Arts Lead at Qatar Foundation, Ameera Al Aji, spoke to The Peninsula about the evolving art scene and about QF’s efforts to enrich art amongst the Qatari and Arab communities.

Al Aji highlighted QF has developed collaborations with international and local artists, as well as related to exhibitions and activities focusing on heritage, Arabic language and culture.

QF is home to a number of art centers and installations including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the Heritage Collection in Qatar National Library, and The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar). 

QF’s focus on enriching the art scene dates back to 2015, when the first government-authorised mural was commissioned in front of Qatar Academy – Doha (QA – Doha). Other installations and spaces around Education City have also been curated to represent the Qatari culture.

The mural at QA – Doha, for example, was designed by three Qatari artists specialised in graffiti. It depicts a woman wearing a batoola holding an incense burner, a dhow boat, Arabic calligraphy and a prize-winning horse from Al Shaqab.

Titled ‘Azzm’ three - 285cm-high granite sculptures depicting local women wearing abayas and battoulahs are located outside QF headquarters. The work by H E Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani was designed to exaggerate the shape of the clothing as the women march into the wind, celebrating their determination in spite of life’s challenges. The sculptures signify the three focus areas of QF: science and research, education, and community development.

“From the very beginning, QF was a pioneer in shedding light on this type of art, which has become one of the most popular types of art in recent times, and its highlights QF’s mission to unlock human potential, advance innovation, and promote social progress,” Al Aji said.

Throughout the years, QF has built up its collection and now maintains many projects in collaboration with Qatar Museums around Education City, including two sections of the Berlin Wall, one at the Qatar National Convention Center and another one at Georgetown University-Qatar.

Beyond individual pieces, QF has been driving forward initiatives such as the D’reesha Performing Arts Festival, with a long-term vision of establishing Education City as a center for Arabic arts and culture.

One of the most storied pieces in QF’s collection is “Seeroo fi al ardh” – a groundbreaking immersive installation by the late, internationally acclaimed, Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain. While living in Qatar, Husain produced several seminal works of art focusing on the Arab region.

“Husain passed away before Seeroo fi al Ardh could be finalised, and as tribute to him, QF completed the installation and gave it a permanent home in Education City,” said Al Aji. Seeroo fi al Ardh was unveiled by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF in 2019. The 20-minute audiovisual show integrates philosophical and cultural elements. Open to the public, today, it attracts diverse visitors, including school students who are given the opportunity to be inspired by art, heritage, and culture, beyond the classroom. To date, the exhibition has welcomed tours from more than 250 teachers in Qatar.

“Seeroo fi al ardh is considered one of the leading public artworks in Qatar that is being used for educational purposes, helping schools to integrate visual arts as part of the school curricula,” Al Aji added.

It joins more than 150 art pieces collected by Qatar Foundation and displayed throughout Education City.

QF nurtures both local and international talent to contribute to its diverse art scene, with works from Qatar artists Ali Hassan, Youssef Ahmed, the pioneer of the modern art movement in Qatar; Salman Al Malik, who is widely recognized as one of the most prominent Qatari visual artists; and the multi-award-winning Moudi Al Hajri.

International art works from British artist Tracey Emin, Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, and Iranian-American artist Hadiya Shafie, demonstrate QF’s commitment to becoming a cultural hub.

To learn more about Qatar Foundation’s public art footprint, tune in to Al Jazeera Documentary at 8pm. A subtitled version will be available on the Qatar Foundation website on June 21.