DOHA: Qatar Museums announced on Thursday its inaugural Qatar Pavilion at the 15th edition of the Gwangju Biennale.The first and only Arab country to have a standalone pavilion at the 2024 Gwangju Biennale, the Qatar Pavilion is curated by the National Museum of Qatar.
For its debut, the Qatar Pavilion will present the exhibition, Knock, Rain, Knock, exploring the significance of rain in Qatari culture and premiering newly commissioned artworks from seven Qatari and Qatar-based artists.
The Qatar Pavilion will be open to the public from September 7 until December1 at Kwangju Bank Art Hall.
Salat al istisqaa a prayer performed to call for rain during droughts, forms the central theme of the exhibition. The artworks also delve into Arab and Islamic identity, water symbolism, and communal experiences within public spaces.
Director of the National Museum of Qatar Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al Thani said, "The National Museum of Qatar is dedicated to preserving the heritage of our nation and making it a part of contemporary life. In these remarkable artworks, we see how a very deep aspect of our Islamic and traditional identity can inspire artistic interpretations that encourage us to strengthen our connection with the earth. We feel honoured to have been able to commission these works for the Gwangju Biennale, where the Qatar Pavilion will now put our culture into conversation with the entire art world."
Knock, Rain, Knock is structured into distinct chapters, each highlighting the profound impact of rain on life in Qatar. The exhibition begins with "landscape", a section offering reflections on the countrys diverse terrain. It showcases "Glimpse of Rain", a diptych depicting a year with rain and a year with drought and "Place of Abandon", a two-channel video installation examines the narratives around places and spaces characterised as "deserts".
"To pray" focuses on the ritual of salat al istisqaa, performed in supplication to seek rain during droughts. In this section, Hind Al Saad will present an artwork titled so they rejoice, a kinetic machine installation that uses a religious text about the blessing of rain as the machines core and Sara Al Naimis Al Istigatha will present a triptych of woodblock prints on linen using words from a poem of the late revered poet of Nabati poetry, Mohsen bin Osman Al-Hazani.
"To receive" looks at rain as a blessing and a symbol of mercy in Islam, emphasising the preciousness of each drop in Qatar, where annual rainfall is minimal. Guillaume Rouseres After the Rain, the sole work in this section, is an immersive multi-sensory installation inviting visitors to experience and connect with Qatars landscape in the serene aftermath of rain.
Lastly, "to bear" considers how the earth bears the fruits of rains blessings and reflects on our responsibilities as custodians of the earth.