Public Art Installations in Qatar

Qatar is filled with art, history and culture. All of us appreciate art. Either by receiving a message of inspiration from it or by engaging in a conversation with a friend about it. Take your day out to explore Doha city and find these beautiful art installations that's scattered throughout.

Egal

 Egal was inspired by the black cord that Qatari men use to fasten their ghutrahs, a significant part of their traditional clothing. As a token of gratitude from the Qatari people to HH Al-Thani, and the Qatari government, the egals in the artwork are slightly inclined. By depicting a piece of cultural headgear worn by men as a part of the traditional dress, Egal pays homage to Qatar's history and traditions.

Artist: Shouq Al Mana
Location: Lusail Marina Promenade

Gandhi’s Three Monkeys

Mahatma Gandhi's visual metaphor of the three wise monkeys, which stands for the adage "see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil," served as the inspiration for this public artwork. This is a three-part sculpture of three heads wearing military attire—one wearing a gas mask, one a soldier, and the other a hood.Each work of art, which explores the difficult concepts of war and peace, is composed of glass bowls, used pails, kitchen utensils, and traditional Indian lunch boxes. 

Artist: Subodh Gupta
Location: Katara Cultural Village

The Miraculous Journey 

The Sidra Medical Center in Qatar is a cutting-edge hospital devoted to providing treatment for women and children. To highlight each step of a fetus' growth, a spectacular set of artworks made up of 14 enormous bronze sculptures has been installed in front of the building. Since it was formally unveiled in 2013, "The Miraculous Journey" has gained popularity as a piece of art in Qatar. The incredible human reproduction process, which takes place every day at Sidra Medicine as well as all across the world, every second, is described in The Miraculous Journey as being beautiful. 

Artist: Damien Hirst
Location: The Sidra Medical Center

Maman

Visitors are confronted with amazing art in a typical setting, which halts them in their tracks. While this art installation may appear intimidating, it actually depicts a vulnerable moment, with a mother clutching her eggs. It is a memorial to the French artist's mother, who passed away when the artist was 21 years old, as revealed by Bourgeois through marble, bronze, and stainless steel.  “The spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. Spiders are friendly presences that are helpful and protective, just like my mother.”

Artist: ​​Louise Bourgeois
Location: Qatar National Convention Centre, Education City

The Challenge 2015

The artwork "The Challenge 2015" shows gigantic hands rising upward. The artist's work frequently depicts war and exile and is highly influenced by the place of his birth. A number of bronze hand sculptures in varying sizes that were commissioned to commemorate Qatar's hosting of the Men's Handball World Championships in 2015 are rising from the pavement to form what appears to be an ongoing handball match. The artist acknowledged that it had taken him five months to complete this enduring and iconic work of Lusail.

Artist: Ahmed Al Bahrani
Location: Lusail Multipurpose Hall

Pouce (Thumb)

The renowned "Pouce" by French sculptor César Baldaccini is located in a century-old commercial area in Doha. The huge installation, which is shaped like the artist's thumb and is situated in the heart of a busy traditional setting, is one of the most well-known sights in the nation and is a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists. When night falls, the polished bronze patina of the artwork blends harmoniously with the mud-daubed structures of Souq Waqif to produce a time warp of traditional and modern time.

Artist: César Baldaccini
Location: Souq Waqif

Falcon

In addition to paying homage to Qatari culture, this golden work of art depicts the country's national bird in an abstract form. The gold-finished falcon, which is sitting on a ledge overlooking the airport's Departures Hall, radiates royalty. Its feathers reflect flight lines from Qatar throughout the world, Arabic calligraphy's curves, and traditional Qatari clothing's folds. More artwork projects can be seen inside and around the HIA airport.

Artist: Tom Claassen
Location: Hamad International Airport

The smoke 

This piece of art had such a significant influence on the art world that TIME Magazine included it on its cover. The monumental aluminum sculpture, which combines octahedrons (a structure with eight triangular faces) and tetrahedrons (triangular pyramids), represents the late artist's preoccupation with organic forms like crystals and honeycombs. The artist was drawn to the name Smoke because of the intricate voids the sculpture has produced, where its logic dissipates like smoke. The sculpture's initial iteration was constructed from painted plywood. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has another Smoke replica on display.

Artist: Tony Smith
Location: Doha Convention Center, West Bay

The Calligraphy Sculpture

A poem by H. E. Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of Qatar, served as the inspiration for a sculpture created by a British calligrapher on Qatar National Day. The height of the stainless steel sculpture, including the base, is 7.5 meters. The verse of the poem was created in this sculpture using calligraphy in the form of individual Arabic letters that were assembled. This is the first sculpture to incorporate poems from Qatar's founding father. Given that Qatar is a rapidly developing nation on the global stage, this piece celebrates culture and history while captivating and attracting spectators to its presence.

Artist: Sabah Arbilli
Location: Corniche 

Which of these artwork installation is your favorite? Let us know below!

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Inline Images Credit - The Saffronat Blog, Marhaba, Asergeev