Qatar International Arts Festival kicks off at Katara

Art enthusiasts in Qatar have something exciting to attend this week as the third edition of the Qatar International Arts Festival has kicked off at Katara Cultural Village.

Organized by Katara in conjunction with Maps International, the festival sees the participation of over 300 artists from 65 countries.

Those who are interested in viewing all that’s on offer at the four-day festival can visit Katara anytime between 10 am to 10 pm until October 28.

General Manager of Katara, Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti inaugurated the festival yesterday, stressing that Katara is keen to support all cultural and artistic initiatives that are consistent with its cultural mission based on building relations between cultures and nations.

He mentioned that the third edition of the festival echoes the success of the festival in general as it observes an increase in the participation of international and local artists.

The event does not only serve as an exhibition of art but also helps connect artists from Qatar and other countries to learn from each other’s experiences and benefit from dialogue and communication, Prof Al Sualiti underlined.

The festival focuses on eight diverse artistic activities: four fine art exhibitions, a painting and sculpture exhibition, a live painting symposium, a fashion show, masterclass, cultural talks, a discussion session, a Qatari cultural tour and cultural dinner night.

Several Qatari artists, including Moudhi al-Hajri, Haifa al-Khuzaie, Duha al-Kuwari, Sarah al-Sayed, Sheikha al-Thani, Lina al-Aali, Sarah al-Dosari and Ghada al-Mahamid, are taking part in the festival.

A number of ambassadors are expected to attend the festival, which will also see the US embassy participate for the first time, in a fashion show represented by American fashion designer Nour Bishara.

The festival will also feature folkloric musical performances, cultural sessions hosted by artists, and free drawing sessions.