A rising number of art shows in Qatar are striking, motionless, and inspirational. They are a window into different cultures and a tidal wave that pulls and activates our frontal cortex. The following are some free exhibitions in Doha that you can see.
Take a drink of some Arabian coffee; the month-long “Coffee for Two – Cultures in Dialogue” event is taking place at the Katara Cultural Village’s Building 47, Gallery 1. Arabic coffee, known as qahwa, is highlighted in the exhibition as a sign of charity and an intangible cultural legacy.
50 objects are shown in the exhibit along with images, films, and quizzes. It investigates the social roles that locally roasted Arabic coffee plays in regional cultural practices.
Have fun reviewing movies and drinks
It also examines the history of the well-known brew by using maps to show its migration from the affluent plantations in Latin America, where it eventually gained fame in the 17th century, to the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt, where it was first grown. Additionally, it spotlights how coffee has changed over time and how it has been adapted for modern use.
The “Coffee for Two – Cultures in Dialogue” will run until September 21.
Two striking exhibitions presented by local artists are ongoing at the Fire Station until September 24: Abstraction: Subverting Reality, and Beyond the Rules.
Abstraction: Subverting Reality exhibition features the artworks of Noor Abuissa, Amna Al Baker, Shaikha Al Hardan, May Al Mannai, Hassan Al Mulla, Ebtisam Al Saffar, Ryan Browning, Sarah Jayyousi, Jesse Payne, Michael Perrone, and Twiggy Shmeissany. The artists go beyond reality to try to express that there are no strong words for shapes, lines, and colours.
Beyond The Rules exhibition by Abeer Al Tamimi
Beyond The Rules exhibition by Abeer Al Tamimi dives into her interest in human interaction and practices. During her residency at Cité International des arts in Paris, she discovered that people are entitled and live in a bubble that invokes negative behaviour.
Calling all the kids! Children are welcome to visit the Dadu’s Light Atelier while it is still in temporary residence at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. There is no charge to visit the exhibition, and reservations are not required. The exhibit runs through September 11.
Dadu’s Light Atelier. Photo credit: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art website
Dadu’s Light Atelier makes use of several installations to let kids explore ideas about light and shadow, colour blending, reflections, and more. You and your child can play, explore, and experiment in the educational area.
Saturday through Thursday, Mathaf is open from 9am to 7pm, and Friday from 1:30pm to 7pm.
Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You and A Sneak Peek at Qatar Auto Museum Project are the two ongoing installations at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), which are both on view until December 20 and January 20, 2023, respectively.
Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You by Pipilotti Rist
Pipilotti Rist’s first video installation in the Middle East, Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You, invites viewers to undergo a multi-sensory voyage of self-discovery that evokes bemusement and reflection. Additionally, it emphasises the significance of mental wellness.
The first of the three sections of the exhibition is Rist’s “pixel forest,” which is made up of 12,000 LED lights spread over the gallery on cables. These are neurons that are constantly firing and interacting with one another. The abstract footage of Qatar’s scenery is encoded into the pulsing resin-encased bulbs in choreography with a soundscape.
The next room is a black canvas on which you can write or draw your feelings with a glow-in-the-dark marker. The programme then moves to a section when a mental health clip plays continuously. There will be breathing and meditation exercises during group visits.
When the museum installation has been concluded, it will be transferred to Dadu, the Children’s Museum of Qatar, where it will remain as a permanent exhibit.
1936 Pontiac Plexiglass Deluxe Six “Ghost Car”
What the public might anticipate from the Qatar Auto Museum (QAM), which will occupy 30,000 square meters in the former Doha Exhibition Centre building at Al Gassar, is detailed in A Sneak Peek at Qatar Auto Museum Project exhibition, also at NMoQ.
Renowned antique cars from the collection of Qatar Museums are on view at the Mawater Gallery. The goal of QAM is to inspire the next generation of innovators, designers, engineers, collectors, and policymakers via a passion for cars. QAM unites the country’s automotive community under one roof and one aim.
These three iconic vintage automobiles are: the 1936 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, widely regarded as the best Ferrari ever built and one of the most valuable of all collector cars; the 1936 Pontiac Plexiglass Deluxe Six “Ghost Car,” the first transparent car made in America; and the 1949 Delahaye 175 S Roadster, dubbed a moving sculpture and one of the most exceptional and opulent post-war coachbuilt vehicles in existence.
Exhibitions of works of art, vehicles, or sculpture show the contours of creative processes and unlock a fresh world of fantasy. The apparatus that has a strong manifestation that molds our perceptions and understanding is the paintings and other works of art. We are taken on a journey through the world of the artist’s panache by these art exhibitions.
Start your exploration of Qatar’s art scene right away with these exhibitions.
