Qatar Museums has installed more than 100 monumental public artworks in public spaces across the country.
The latest are three installations located at the archaeological site of Al Zubarah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place considered of great importance to national identity, in the nearby abandoned village of Ain Mohammed.
The host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup? commissioned these three site-specific works of art from artists Olafur Eliasson, Simone Fattal and Ernesto Neto.
The work “Shadows travelling on the sea of the day” (2022), by artist Olafur Eliasson evokes the typical designs of the Islamic culture of the Middle Ages, governed by recently discovered mathematical principles and, as the artist explains, becomes a celebration of all that is found in the desert north of Doha and, through the play of mirrors, an invitation to look within oneself and the relationship with the Earth.
“Maqam I, Maqam II, Maqam III” (2021) are three monumental sculptures created by Lebanese artist Simone Fattal. They are positioned as geographical landmarks and have been realized with forms that recall the archetypes of the Qatari landscape and history.
Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto’s installation, “Slug Turtle, TemplEarth” (2022) is a tribute to the Earth and the environment. A space where visitors can enter to meditate and connect with the Earth and the desert.
Image courtesy: Qatar Museums. Olafur Eliasson, “Shadows traveling on the sea of the day” Photo: Iwan Baan/Courtesy of The Artist; Neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, NY/LA © 2022 Olafur Eliasson