A COLLABORATIVE PUBLICATION BETWEEN BROWNBOOK AND THE QATAR MUSEUMS AUTHORITY
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The Pearl Murakami-Ego, ALRIWAQ exhibition space
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Louise Bourgeois: Conscious and Unconscious, QMA Gallery, Building 10, Katara
Qatar National Convention Centre
Doha International Airport
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Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts, Museum of Islamic Art
Education City
Cia-Guo Giang – Qiang: Saraab, Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art
INTRO
WELCOME With rapid success in transforming Qatar into the cultural hub of the Arab world, QMA has been instrumental in introducing globally renowned artists to the region for the first time, through an exciting series of world-class exhibitions 04
at its numerous galleries. In January, the ground-breaking artist Cai Guo-Qiang opened at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, with his exhibition Saraab - connecting the history and culture of his hometown of Quanzhou, China to Doha. Meanwhile Louise Bourgeois’ sensational sculptures, installations, drawings and fabric works were installed in the QMA Gallery, Katara in an exhibition titled Conscious and Unconscious. At the ultra-modern exhibition space ALRIWAQ, located next to the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Japanese artist Takashi Murakami delights and amazes with his magnificent paintings and installations, and from 18th March, at the MIA itself, ‘Gifts of the Sultan: The Art of Giving at the Islamic Courts’ will explore Islamic Art through its tradition of generosity. In this booklet – the second in a series of eight, we talk to architect Fatma Ibrahim Al Sahlawi on the expansion of the QMA, profile the ALRIWAQ exhibition space and we take a look at the life and works of the inspirational French artist Louise Bourgeois.
Pattern & Map Illustrator Aziza Iqbal
Established in 2005 to oversee the management of all the museums in the State of Qatar, as well as providing an effective system for the restoration and preservation of historic sites and monuments, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), a government-run organisation under the leadership of its chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa, is forging ahead with its mission to promote the contemporary international art scene throughout the Middle East.
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Visitors explore one of the many exhibitions hosted by QMA
LATEST NEWS
CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS 06
She is one of the most important and respected female artists of the 20th century, and from March the late Louise Bourgeois’ work will be on show in a solo exhibition for the first time in the Middle East
Curator Philip Larratt-Smith, who worked as her literary archivist between 2002 and 2010 and is currently the curator of the international programme at Malba – Fundacion Costantini in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said his intention with this exhibition was to complement and contextualise Bourgeois’ monumental spider structure. When visitors to the exhibition emerge from the
Sometimes known as Spiderwoman, Louise Bour-
journey through her assumed unconscious emo-
geois is perhaps best known for her ominous and
tional state, they’ll be asked to contribute their own
towering nine metre high bronze spider structure,
hidden ‘secret’ - whether a regret, fear, desire, or
which was incidentally an ode to her mother and
confession - to a group art project. Postcards will
thus entitled Maman. She is also recognised as the
be provided so they can express their thoughts
founder of Confessional Art.
through writing or images, which will then be posted onto QMA’s social media - acting as an online QMA
Approximately 30 works, from all periods of the
Gallery of Confes- sional Art - as well as being sent
late French American artist’s long career, includ-
en masse to the on- line website which inspired the
ing sculptures, installations, drawings and fabric
project.
works from 1947 to 2009, will be on view at the QMA Gallery at Katara from January 20 until June 1.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication in Arabic and English, featuring essays by Larratt-
Though Bourgeois’ works are abstract, they are sug-
Smith and Sophia Al-Maria, as well as full-colour
gestive of the human figure and express themes of
images of all works in the exhibition and an illustrat-
betrayal, anxiety and loneliness. Almost wholly auto-
ed chronology of the artist’s life and work.
biographical and highly diverse, her work addresses the themes of motherhood, identity, memory and the cycles of life. It is said Bourgeois was inspired by her childhood trauma of discovering that her English governess was also her father’s mistress and it is therefore believed that art offered her a way to exorcise her anxiety and powerful fear of abandonment.
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Louise Bourgeois: Conscious and Unconscious, QMA Gallery, Katara, Doha, January 20-June 1, 2012
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Q&A
Design For The Future Architect and urban designer, Fatma Ibrahim Al Sahlawi, manages planning projects with a sustainable future, throughout her home land, in which QMA, along with others are major stakeholders
What has been your biggest challenge? ‘In many cities one has witnessed rapid mass of development, with an absence of any cultural, architectural, design or arts-focussed identity. One of Qatar’s main challenges has been the struggle to modernise whilst maintaining the country’s traditions and its fundamental identity.’ How do you introduce new QMA projects? ‘One of my objectives is to look at ways to link different museums together on an urban scale. It’s important to include programmes such as media education, sports, and educational entertainment. Such programmes can only enrich a city’s development. What’s the best thing about working with QMA? I have the opportunity to collaborate with other major bodies - companies, authorities, individuals and this enriches our projects and provides a more all round approach to everything we do.’
Tell us about the Qatar 2030 vision? ‘The vision has four pillars; human development;
You were recently in Rotterdam working with Rem
social development; economic development and
Koolhaas on the planning phase for an upcoming
environmental development. QMA supports these
project in Doha, can you tell us more about this?
pillars in many ways and has deliberately
‘If we create a project in Doha, I work on it in-house
strategised its projects in order that the vision may
with local or QMA designers. However other
be implemented comprehensively.’
projects see me split my time between Doha and the country in which the design consultants are based.
How is it being implemented?
So for a project of this nature, I would be responsible
‘We look at the ways the social structure of the
for data collection, research and project manage-
country can gain from the experiences created by
ment in Doha, and then I’ll travel to the country with
the various projects. We are also looking at how
which we’re collaborating on a project, and become
we can strengthen ties between Qatar and other
part of the design team, so that I can bring a local
countries – the current Qatar-Japan celebration of
perspective to the project and assist in creating
the 40-year of diplomatic relations between the two
design proposals which are suited to Qatar’s needs.’
nations is a prime example with the ‘Murakami - Ego’ art exhibition at ALRIWAQ as the launch event. We
How would you summarise the role of the QMA?
also look at ways in which the cultural backbone of
‘It is important to remember that QMA is not only
the city can develop in a sus- tainable manner which
responsible for bringing to artists and museum
will be advantageous to the environment, and even
collections, it is creating a blueprint for culture and
enhance it in some cases.’
design not only for this generation but for the future’
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CONCEPT SPACE
BLANK CANVAS 10
Rubbing shoulders with the Museum of Islamic Art, the newly opened Art Park and Doha’s Corniche, ALRIWAQ Exhibition Space is a versatile area where anything is possible and everything is unexpected.
Covering an area of 5,000 square metres, ALRIWAQ Exhibition Space, in the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art on Doha’s Corniche, has already embarked upon its programme of international exhibitions and events in art and culture which will craft the cultural agenda of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and contribute towards its goal in bridging the gap between the many different cultures that shape our world.
telling from Arab artists, and artist Cai Guo-Quiang’s preparation work for his current exhibition ‘Saraab’ at Mathaf. ALRIWAQ is currently demonstrating its spectacular versatility with Takashi Murakami’s
The space acts as a blank canvas allowing artists to be experimental with how they adapt it to suit their works
The space acts as a blank canvas allowing artists to be experimental with how they adapt it to suit their works. Limited only by imagination, ALRIWAQ’s high ceilings, open layout and spacious galleries allow
exhibition ‘Murakami - Ego’. Murakami specifically
complete freedom for redesign and reconstruction
created a 100 metre painting which wraps itself
for each exhibition.
around the walls and a giant 6 metre high lifelike inflatable structure of the artist himself welcomes the
Some of the most high profile events and exhibitions in the region have made ALRIWAQ their venue of choice, including the opening of Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, ‘Told/Untold/Retold’, featuring specially commissioned work based on story-
visitor to the exhibition in the entrance hall.
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