Tribune News Network
Doha
The latest addition to Qatar Foundation’s public art collection, ‘Come Together’, is hard to miss. The brightly coloured 12-metre-tall structure, which has been designed to resemble a dandelion, is made up of workers’ helmets, mirror balls and traditional Qatari kitchenware.
Designed by South Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, it pays homage to the effort that has gone into preparing for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Commissioned by Qatar Foundation (QF), the eye-catching installation placed at the Green Spine in Education City is an engineering feat.
The piece comprises of a core sphere and around one hundred pieces of protruding helmets, footballs, spheres and kitchen objects threaded onto an internal stainless-steel pipe with a screw thread. Each item had to be assembled one at a time.
“We first attached five legs to the bottom of the piece and then screwed each skewer-like piece to the sphere, working our way from the top to the bottom. It was the biggest work we’ve made in this shape and format with each skewer weighing around 70 kilograms. Teamwork was key in the installation as the angles had to be precise to be securely screwed in. This meant we had to lift each skewer by hand,” said Soo Choi, the project manager, who oversaw the installation of the artwork.
As for the materials, some spheres are made of mirror chrome and automobile spray while the footballs are plastic hexagons. The hats and aluminum food bowls are readymade objects, while the kitchenware featured in the artwork was sourced from local kitchens in Qatar.
The installation process took around 10 days and was done after meticulous testing, with a simulation taking place in South Korea. Durability was given special attention, considering the outdoor location of the artwork.
“The 3D shape of the artwork, with structures protruding in all directions, is in and of itself quite challenging to be designed to be placed outside. However, with rigorous studying and testing, we were able to ensure a secure installation,” Choi said.
It was also built to take into account extreme weather conditions – heat, sandstorms and occasional rain.
“Each part is made to be as durable as possible, so we hope it will withstand harsh weather and its shine and colours will last,” she added.
