Views /Opinion

Power of contemporary art in Qatar

Knowledge is not only found in textbooks; it can be gained through a simple conversation about art, a subject that transforms us and speaks to us in all kinds of ways. It’s a subject that encourages us to take time to be present at the moment and to take a step back and to challenge our own assumptions. The keyword that Qatar is focusing on these days is Contemporary art.

So what is this great fuss about Contemporary art? And does it help us understand the world better? Contemporary art is a necessity; it is a genre of art that is engaged with society at large and highlights the key issues that affect the world today. In recent years, Contemporary art displayed at museums and gallery spaces in the State of Qatar have introduced the public to reality, whether its socially or politically engaged art, it highlights issues that people may not be aware of and point at the elephant in the room through exhibitions and dialogue.

Hot spot III (2009) by Mona Hatoum

There has been so much in the world that has changed, the once called Sahara is now one of the fast growing future class countries and a world-beating international hub of arts. Contemporary art is now part of Qatar’s DNA; its powerful presence is in every corner of the city of Doha. The conceptual and controversial artwork found across all museums and public spaces pushed the boundaries of tradition and enabled people to deal with subjects that stimulates and challenges their emotions.

Many questioned if people in the Arabian Gulf know how to look at art, understand it or even know how to connect to its content but the massive art movement that took place in the region shocked the world. There has been an incredible progress over the last years in introducing the different genres of Art such as Modern Art, the evolution of it which is Contemporary Art and the concept of embracing self-expression in Qatar.

Leviathan (2006) by Damien Hirst

The State of Qatar has acquired major works of art and are operating a series of museums and deals with renowned international artists who have a strong presence in the art world such as Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Mona Hatoum and Adel Abdessemed. One of the strongest roles of Contemporary Art in Doha is the ability to create a specific language and tone of voice to educate different cultures and societies through collaborative rich programs for university students, invite artists to push boundaries and allow audiences to reflect.

Big questions were put on the table which were “can academic learning occur through philosophical elements found in work of art? And is contemporary art an important subject we can learn from?” Great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, the Sophists and Aristotle had written various reflective thoughts on the concept of learning and the need of learning throughout life, about the particularities and manners of acquiring knowledge in different phases of life especially the moral and aesthetic impact.

The Miraculous Journey by Damien Hirst at the Sidra Medical and Research Center

The Qatari government constantly monitors the development of communities and encourages schools and universities to collaborate with local museums to develop art exchange programs that enhance students’ skills such as their communication and critical skills before graduating. These programs are free and do promote the concept of accessible education in all of its forms.

Light Sentence (1992) by Mona Hatoum

The government believes that the way we educate the next generation is changing, which means that students need to have certain skills that enable them to serve the country’s economic and overall development. Having the ability to interpret complex matters is one of those important skills needed in today’s modern world, a skill that could be gained through Art practices.

In 2013, Qatar Museums presented Damien Hirst: Relics, Hirst’s largest controversial and first retrospective exhibition in the Middle East curated by internationally renowned writer, critic and curator Francesco Bonami. The comprehensive exhibition included important series of Hirst’s work such as a symmetrically placed rows of dots, a medicine cabinet, a cow’s head filled with flies and an enormous shark and dissected animals in formaldehyde placed in giant glass containers, pieces that were hailed as masterpieces which exposed the human experience. The local community were shocked by many pieces of his work especially the piece titled “The Physical Impossibility of Death in The Mind of Someone Living” which was a massive 14-foot tiger shark with its jaw wide open ready to kill placed in a large tank made of steel. This provocative artwork that managed to confront viewers with death was inspired from Jaws, the 1975 ultimate horror flick. Hirst was fascinated by the movie and wanted to create work of art that resembled the concept of fear and mortality. During the exhibition period, school and university visits increased and various discussions highlighted the power humans have over the natural world and the concept of life and death.

As part of the new Art movement that occurred in Qatar, new public art pieces were introduced to the public as part of important landmarks in the city. In front of Sidra Medical Center in Doha lands an art installation by Damien Hirst titled “Miraculous Journey”, which is a series of fourteen giant bronze sculptures that represents the development of a human fetus inside the womb. The massive installation is associated with the hospital’s main mission, which is the healthcare of women and babies.

Waiting is Forbidden (2006) by Mona Hatoum

In 2014, Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar presented British-Palestenian artist Mona Hatoum’s largest solo exhibition in the Arab World curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. The exhibition Mona Hatoum: Turbulence displayed a total of seventy works of art that reflect the world’s contradictions, complexities and question political developments. Scattered hairballs, everyday objects, domestic interior and a bare steel-framed bed without a mattress enabled the public to experience the power of the artist’s ultimate expression of non-objective art. While roaming around the gallery space, people felt intrigued at the beginning of their tour yet by looking deeply into the context of the exhibition, they began to understand the sense of fragility and serenity which enabled viewers to indulge into a psychological experience with every piece of artwork. Art that describes migration is very new to people in the State of Qatar yet Hatoum’s political work challenged audience’s experience of the ordinary and managed to shed light on human trauma, displacement and the notion of restrictions which constantly developed a new dialogue inside the gallery space.

Louise Bourgeois’s Maman at the National Convention Center.

Maman, which translates to the word mother in French, is an 8-legged spider sculpture made of bronze that was created by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Rising at about 9 meters high, the sculpture that is considered a powerful centerpiece at the National Convention Center was a tribute to the artist’s own mother and the concept of motherhood that presents wisdom, nurture and protection. Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums said: “Louise Bourgeois’ Maman is a true icon of 20th Century art, an artwork that has captured the attention of millions around the world. We are proud to present this magnificent sculpture at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Through displaying various forms of art in public spaces we aim to inspire local talent and to establish an organic connection between art and the local community.”

Contemporary art exposes people to objects of genuine importance and is an effective tool for creating better societies. The Qatari government believes that the success of art institutions today depends on their ability to design themselves as social learning systems and also to participate in boarder learning systems such as an industry, a region, or a consortium.