The impact art can make in the extremely changing world and challenging times was explored on the final day of ‘Outside the Box: Public Art in Qatar,’ hosted by Qatar Foundation.
The two-day public forum was organised under the patronage of H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums.
Commissioned by the British Council in partnership with Qatar Museums and Qatar Foundation (QF), the forum has aimed to start a conversation about how the use of art in the public realm can be redefined and rethought. Its second day was held at Qatar National Library, in Education City, where local and international participants spoke about how the meaning of art has evolved over the decades, in Qatar and around the world.
Curated with the UK’s arts organisation FutureEverything, the forum included panel discussions, and conversations exploring the meaning and role of art in ‘non-art’ domains.
“In the beginning, art was more a confirmation of political power, fostering national identity and the beautification of the city,” said Layla Ibrahim Bacha, Senior Art Specialist, QF, in a keynote on speech on ‘Public Art in the Arab world: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.’ “It is now about creating a destination, fostering social connections, and encouraging openness.
“We have noticed that artworks are now more about the temporary than the permanent. I think this makes a piece of art more attractive, because people think they can see it now or never,” she added.
The second day of the forum, which was hosted by QF also featured several panel discussions including on ‘The art of making places: How art and multidisciplinary approaches in the public space can influence social, cultural and economic conditions’ and ‘Creating for policy change: Best practice approaches and strategic partnerships on commissioning and financing art in the public realm.’ The programme also aimed to inspire local talent and establish an natural connection between art and the local community.
In a discussion on the theme of The Art of Making Places, Dr Georgios Papaioannou, Associate Professor of Museum Studies at London-based university UCL, said public art had, over the past 20 years, become “more about physical participation”.
“I have seen many people take pictures of public art, which means it has become socially important,” he said.
“I think art is a battle – the battle of space. Design is important, but there has to be a space for art, and getting the space is even more important than the art itself. Once your space is there, at any time, you can change the art. The focus should be not only on public art, but also public art spaces, and in Qatar, with the 2022 World Cup approaching, many countries might want to exhibit their art in those spaces.”
The first day (22 February) was hosted by Qatar Museums at the National Museum of Qatar. ‘Outside the Box: Public Art in Qatar,’ brought together artists, architects, developers, policy makers, museum and cultural organisations, academics and commissioners.
