Op-ed: How Qatar is putting public art in the spotlight – from the desert to the streets

During my nine years living, and teaching art in Doha, Qatar, I have witnessed incredible growth in the visibility of art, both with museum exhibitions and in the public art realm.

Of course, this growth had begun well before I set foot in Qatar, and the history of public art runs deep in the nation’s culture - most notably with the many ‘pop-inspired’ sculptures along the Corniche, and the ‘roundabout’ artworks that, for a long time, were Doha landmarks. These structures were creative sculptures that not only offered insights into the history of Qatar, but also became signposts that helped wanderers - old and new - to navigate the ever-changing roadways.

Qatar Museums has had an incredible impact on the development of the creative culture during the 21st Century. The opening of several museums has increased the availability of art in Qatar, with the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the new National Museum of Qatar, as well as foundational art programs such the Doha Fire Station – which houses a nine-month artist residency each year – creating tremendous energy within the creative community.

The programs of the Doha Fire Station have focused on the emerging young artists of Qatar, offering them support, studio space, and mentoring, as they continue their development into professional careers. Additionally, the Garage Gallery at the Fire Station has mounted several world-class exhibitions, including an insightful retrospective of abstract pioneer Kazimir Malevich; an examination of ‘Picasso’s Studios’, which chronicled how a change in studio locale can affect the creative process; and ‘German Encounters’ which exposed the Qatari public to contemporary art from Germany. More recently, the Msheireb Downtown Doha urban development has emphasized the design world, with the elegant M7 Design Center and several art and design boutiques and galleries.

Public art has been in the Qatar spotlight over recent years. Large-scale commissions from some of the world’s most recognized artists have enlivened not only Qatar’s urban landscape, but the remote desert as well. Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Saloua Raouda Choucair, and a host of other blue-chip artists have had public works unveiled over the past decade, while Hamad International Airport also houses an amazing collection of works, offering weary travelers iconic sculptures as they move through its terminal. Urs Fischer’s Lamp Bear is undoubtably the crowd favorite, but work by Kaws, Rudolph Stengel, and Jean-Michel Othonell, also impress. My favorite, though, is the mischievously playful work of Tom Otterness, which invites art lovers to not only touch the art, but actually play on it.

In the desert, outside of the small village Zekreet, Richard Serra has created the most impressive public work, East-West/West-East. The four rusted corten steel monoliths, each

14m high and 10cm thick, stand in a straight line connecting the inland landscape to the coast. The artwork has been hailed for its majesty and its simplicity; seemingly otherworldly, the sculpture – and the landscape it sits in – create an amazing art experience.

Part of this experience lies in the anticipation and travel required to see it. Art writer Michael Kimmelman has described such journeys as ‘artistic pilgrimages’, where those who want to view the art must endure some hardship to reach it. In this case, that involves an hour-plus drive from Doha, the last part of which is off-road, where navigating desert roads with no signage often leaves viewers retracing their tracks. Persistence pays off, however, and the massive sculpture leaves a lasting impression on anyone who is lucky enough to see it.

More recently, public art in Doha has taken to the street, with Qatar Museums’

street art initiative Jedariart. Artists were invited to submit proposals for murals to be painted in and around Doha’s streets, with these ‘sanctioned’ graffiti projects being designed to beautify the more mundane buildings and roadways, while also offering the public an outdoor art viewing experience that was not hindered by pandemic regulations. The initiative brings art into the everyday lives of the Qatari public, and is a continuation of a philosophy that sees inherent value in the creation of artworks and the creative process. Qatar values the arts and has been diligent in promoting the creative culture for its citizens.

After the success of Jedariart, there was a follow-up street art festival called Pow! Wow! Doha. This project focused on the Al Sadd metro station and featured international and local artists in a week-long festival celebrating street art.

In 1998, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Design was the first Western university to be established at Qatar Foundation’s Education City. Originally offering a design-only curriculum, today VCUarts Qatar also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking, as well as a BA in Art History, while the MFA in Interdisciplinary Design is the only graduate program for creative practice in Qatar.

VCUarts Qatar has been instrumental in educating and nurturing the future artists and designers of Qatar. The impact of these young professional creatives is palpable, and easily visible in the many facets of Qatar’s emerging art world. The future bodes well for the emerging creative culture in Qatar, and I for one am looking forward to seeing what those who are part of it come up with.