QNA
Doha
Qatar’s public artworks have become a symbol of cultural richness and diversity as well as the state’s openness to different cultures of the world.
The visitor can feel this clearly through these works designed by international artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, locally or from Asia, Africa, Europe, and America.
These artworks tell the story of Qatar’s openness to its regional and global surroundings. This includes the “7” sculpture by Richard Serra in the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) park on the seafront.
It stands 80 feet tall, the highest artwork he has ever executed. It was built from seven iron plates arranged in a heptagonal shape to reflect the scientific and spiritual importance of the number seven.
It took three years to create and was unveiled at a ceremony in December 2011.
Serra’s sculpture also has a strong relationship with Islamic culture thus connecting its meaning with the theme of the MIA. The symbolism of the number appears in many religious and historical contexts and is mentioned many times in the Holy Qur’an.
The artist was also inspired by minarets dating back to the 7th century especially one of the mosques in Afghanistan.
The late Serra was commissioned by Qatar Museums (QM) to create the sculpture based on personal recommendations from the late renowned architect I.M. Pei who designed the MIA.
“It is my hope that the sculpture will provide both a public place and a private space for people to gather and experience the narrow, vertical, open column in relation to themselves, the MIA, the city of Doha, the surrounding sea, and the sky as seen through the opening at the top of the sculpture,” said Serra at that time.
Sierra’s contribution was not limited to the “7” sculpture, as his second artwork in Qatar is the “East-West/West-East” sculpture in the Brouq nature reserve near the Zekreet area.
This land art, which was unveiled on April 8, 2014, extends over an area of more than a kilometer, crossing the peninsula of the Brouq natural reserve and reaching the waters in the Gulf.
The sculpture consists of four symmetrical steel plates installed inside a natural corridor made up of gypsum curves. The length of each plate ranges between 14.6 and 16.7 meters and is installed to be at the same level as each other.
The artwork highlights the many uses of iron, the mention of iron in the Holy Qur’an, as well as dialogue between the East and the West Another notable artwork is Ugo Rondinone’s “Doha Mountains” displayed near Ras Abu Aboud Beach (974 Beach).
The artwork includes geological formations and abstract structures, which consist of vertically stacked rocks painted with different color schemes.
The idea of the artwork is inspired by the art of meditation by balancing rocks, which has existed in many cultures for thousands of years as well as from a natural phenomenon called “Hoodoo” formed in nature as a result of erosion.
Pouce (Thumb) by Cesar Baldaccini marks another highlight of Qatar’s public art, one of the artist’s most famous works. QM placed the landmark in the heart of the city of Doha Souq Waqif. It represents the Souq’s authenticity and modernity and has a notable presence due to its size and shiny design.
