The exhibition will feature texts from the Qur’an that are less commonly used in calligraphy, along with a number of basmalas. Difficult to translate without simplification, the basmala is the Qur’anic phrase meaning, roughly, “In the name of God, whose mercy is the foundation of His creation, whose mercy is directed specifically.” It is a prime theological concept in Islam, as well as texts from Islamic literature and poetry.

Quranic verse by Zakaria

Commenting on this exhibition, Aisha Al Khater, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art said: “Museum of Islamic Art is proud to host Mohamed Zakariya’s works featured at our new temporary exhibition space on the 4th floor. Calligraphy is the leading art form of the Islamic world, in which words are honored through punctilious attention and conscious touch, and it’s our duty to present this art to local audience and all visitors of the Museum of Islamic Art.”

Mohamed Zakariya grew up in Southern California and in 1961 he accepted Islam and began to learn the Arabic language and the study of Islamic calligraphy. His interest in Islamic culture took him many times to Morocco, Spain, and England, where he remained for a few years studying calligraphy and manuscripts at the British Museum.

Since settling in the Washington, D.C., area in 1972, Zakariya has traveled frequently to Turkey and the Arabian Gulf where he exhibited his work and lectured on calligraphy. His most well-known work is his design of the “Eid Greetings” U.S. postage stamp in 2001. He made recent appearances the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art in Honolulu in Hawaii; solo exhibitions at the Institute for Works on Paper in San Francisco; and the Bellevue (Washington) Arts Center; and group exhibitions in Dubai and Kuwait.

Alongside his exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art, Mohamed Zakariya will hold a calligraphy workshop at the Education Centre on Wednesday 26 October, 2011. Next month MIA will open another temporary exhibition titled “The Dream of a King: Dresden’s Green Vault.”

Rising at about 9 meters high, the 8-legged sculpture made of steel is an ode from Bourgeois to her mother who worked as a weaver in France. The symbolism of motherhood is especially striking through the presence of a sac that hangs above the viewer’s head, containing 17 white and grey eggs made of marble. In the artist’s eyes, “Maman” also represents continual renewal of the cycle of life.

Maman, a giant sculpture by Louise Bourgeois

The sculpture is very popular to viewers around the world and has made appearances in several cities such as London, Paris, Geneva, Beunos Aires and St Petersburg. There are a total of 6 editions of Maman by Louise Bourgeois and this one will be permanently located at the new Qatar National Convention Centre.

Commenting on the importance of the sculpture to Qatar, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority said: “Louise Bourgeois’ Maman is a true icon of 20th Century art, an artwork that has captured the attention of millions around the world. We are proud to present this magnificent sculpture at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Through displaying various forms of art in public spaces we aim to inspire local talent and to establish an organic connection between art and the local community.”

From 20 January – 1 June, 2012, Qatar Museums Authority will present a solo exhibition for the late artist Louise Bourgeois titled “Louise Bourgeois: Conscious and Unconscious” at QMA Gallery in Katara. The exhibition will feature works of contemporary art and expose visitors to the talent, context and mindset of Louise Bourgeois.

This is a golden opportunity to display your image in one of the most important locations in the city with a huge potential for public viewing every day!

The competition aims to celebrate the achievements of Qatar, past and present, and the passion of the people who live and work within it. Use your creativity to come up with exciting and challenging photographic compositions. Your image should aim to represent the heritage, culture and the Qatar National Vision for 2030; and should be entered under one of the four themes which form the main pillars of the Qatar 2030 Vision:

• Human Development
• Social Development
• Economic Development
• Environmental Development

The image that judges believe best visually describes each category will be selected as the winner. Professional and amateur photographers of all nationalities living in Qatar are welcome to enter.

To see the full Qatar 2030 Vision document please click here

A jury of experienced visual artists and cultural leaders has been selected to review, evaluate and choose four winners who will have their photos displayed in a prominent position in the departure hall at the New Doha International Airport, and each of the four winners will also receive a prize of QR 20,000.

How to Enter:

Registrations forms are available to download from here.
Please submit all images in digital format along with registration forms by hand to the QMA Tower front desk, located off the Doha Corniche. Make sure all documents are placed in a sealed envelope, addressed to:

“Capture the Essence of Qatar” – Public Art Department, Qatar Museums Authority.

Terms and Conditions:

• Entry into the competition is free.
• The competition is open to both professional and amateur photographers.
• All participants must be aged 18 or over.
• Up to four photographs may be entered per person; images can be submitted for more than one theme.
• Images may be digitally enhanced, or altered in any way.
• All photographs must be submitted within the above categories; and be clearly labelled and titled with a brief description (100 words max for each image) by the photographer describing his/her thoughts on the image, and why it is relevant to the chosen theme.
• Please make sure you fill in the Registration Form.
• All entries must be submitted in both Tiff and JPG format.
• Tiff file minimum of 16 mb.
• All entries submitted outside of the advertised closing date will not be accepted.
• Any entries embedded with borders or locks will not be accepted.
• All photographs submitted must be in landscape format.
• QMA/NDIA reserves the right to amend and/or crop images as necessary to suit the final location.
• The competition opens for entry: October 2011
• Deadline for all submissions: 20 January 2012
• All finalists will be contacted by February 2012.
• Any inquires should be sent to publicart@qma.org.qa

Exhibition:

The 30 shortlisted photographs will be showcased in a unique exhibition (date and venue TBA).
The 4 winning photographs will be announced during the opening of the exhibition.

The film will be screened on October 27, 2011, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar. It will be followed by a panel discussion with Marinika Babanazarova, Tchavdar Georgiev, Amanda Pope and Andrei Volkov.

Synopsis

The incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars is stashed in a far-off desert of Uzbekistan develops into a larger exploration of how art survives in times of oppression.

During the Soviet regime, a small group of artists remain true to their vision despite threats of torture, imprisonment and death.
Their plight inspires a frustrated young painter Igor Savitsky. Pretending to buy State-approved art, Savitsky instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artist’s works and creates a museum in the desert of Uzbekistan, far from the watchful eyes of the KGB. Though a penniless artist himself, he cajoles the cash to pay for the art from the same authorities who are banning it. He amasses an eclectic mix of Russian Avant-Garde art. But his greatest discovery is an unknown school of artists who settle in Uzbekistan after the Russian revolution of 1917, encountering a unique Islamic culture, as exotic to them as Tahiti was for
Gauguin. They develop a startlingly original style, fusing European modernism with centuries-old Eastern traditions.

The Desert of Forbidden Art

Ben Kingsley, Sally Field and Ed Asner voice the diaries and letters of Savitsky and the artists. Intercut with recollections of the artists’ children and rare archival footage, the film takes us on a dramatic journey of sacrifice for the sake of creative freedom. Described as “one of the most remarkable collections of 20th century Russian art” by the New York Times and located in one of the world’s poorest regions, today these priceless paintings are a lucrative target for Islamic fundamentalists, corrupt bureaucrats and art profiteers.

The collection remains as endangered as when Savitsky first created it, posing the question whose responsibility is it to preserve this cultural treasure.

Cai Guo-Qiang is best known for his large-scale explosion projects and transformation of traditional mediums. Cai will explore a personal connection to the Gulf region through the gunpowder drawings, incorporating imagery from Islamic miniature paintings, decorative art, textiles and ancient maritime routes between the Arab world and his hometown Quanzhou, China. The finished works will be featured in the exhibition Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab, which opens at Mathaf on December 5.

“Cai’s dynamic method of engaging local communities and creating works opens up an exciting public dialogue about the production of contemporary art,” said Mathaf director Wassan Al-Khudhairi. “The Gunpowder Drawing experience highlights Mathaf’s commitment to education and supporting connections across cultures. Saraab offers a platform to explore a larger context of contemporary art from an Arab perspective.”

Hundreds of volunteers from Doha will assist the artist and his crew to produce 10 large drawings and an ambitious porcelain mural featuring more than 480 individual panels. After the works are laid out in a specially prepared studio space, Cai will apply an assorted mix of gunpowder over stencils cut by volunteers. Each ignited blast will create a series of intricate images, blurring the line between destruction and construction. By manipulating various forms of control and accepting a degree of chance, the explosions will transform the drawings with unexpected results. These commissioned works marks an interesting evolution in Cai’s practice of reinventing traditional materials and motifs.

“I am excited to create this work in Doha, as each gunpowder drawing presents a new experience, shaped as much by the volunteers and the energy of the audience, as it is by the delicate balance of materials, weather, and temperament,” explained Cai Guo-Qiang. “It is an organic process.”

Opportunities for Participation in Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab Gunpowder Drawing Project

Along with a targeted recruitment of local university and college students, Mathaf welcomes everyone in Doha to consider taking part in this unique opportunity. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, non-smokers and meet certain physical requirements. For further information, please contact Mathaf_volunteers@qma.org.qa. All applications must be submitted by October 16.

The production is open to the public from Saturday, October 22 through Tuesday, October 25 from 9 AM – 6 PM (baring a break from 1-2), and on Wednesday, October 26 from 9 AM – 1 PM.

Exhibition Overview

Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab features the artist’s characteristic use of symbols and stories about local history and transnational movements. The exhibition explores the historic and contemporary iconography of the Arabian Gulf and its seafaring culture, as well as the Islamic history of Cai’s hometown, Quanzhou. Located on the southeast coast of China, Quanzhou was a significant maritime port on the ancient Silk Road and a trade hub for silk, porcelain, tea leaves and spices. Saraab offers Cai’s perspective on the complex web of conceptual and material connections between China and the Arab world, of dynamics between historic localities marked as much by the passage of ideas and lived experience as by material trade.

Saraab will feature more than 50 works, including 16 newly commissioned pieces, 30 recent works and nine documentary videos. The exhibition will be on view from December 5, 2011 – May 26, 2012 and will include all of the finished gunpowder drawings, documentary video of the creative process, and Cai’s preparatory sketches.

About Cai Guo-Qiang

Cai Guo-Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, and was trained in stage design at the Shanghai Theater Academy. His work has since crossed multiple mediums within art, including drawing, installation, video and performance art. While living in Japan from 1986 to 1995, he explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings, an inquiry that eventually led to his experimentation with explosives on a massive scale and to the development of his signature explosion events. Drawing upon Eastern philosophy and contemporary social issues as a conceptual basis, these projects and events aim to establish an exchange between viewers and the larger universe around them, utilizing a site-specific approach to culture and history. Cai was awarded the Golden Lion at the 48th Venice Biennale in 1999, the 7th Hiroshima Art Prize in 2007, and the 20th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 2009. He was Director of Visual and Special Effects for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In 2008, he was the subject of a retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. In fall 2010, Cai created Odyssey for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Installed as part of the museum’s ongoing Portal Project, it is one of his largest gunpowder drawings to date. He currently lives and works in New York.

Following major retrospectives at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and at the Château de Versailles, Murakami – Ego is the final chapter in a trilogy of exhibitions that have established Takashi Murakami as one of the most fascinating artists working today. This new exhibition, curated by Massimiliano Gioni, will feature more than 60 works from 1997 to the present, on loan from leading international institutions and private collections, as well as several new works created especially for this show.

Murakami – Ego is part of a series of cultural initiatives organized by the QMA to promote and support local and international art, foster conversations about artists and popular culture, and build bridges between cultures. At the time of the opening of Murakami – Ego, QMA also will present Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

“Qatar Museums Authority is pleased to present the work of renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami in Doha, for his first solo exhibition in the Middle East,” said Qatar Museums Authority Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. “The exhibition continues to advance QMA’s mission to encourage global cultural dialogue and exchange, as well as launch the 2012 celebration of forty years of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Japan.”

A portrait of the artist as a cartoon, Murakami – Ego will illuminate the role of the artist as a cipher and critic of pop phenomena, as well as a mirror of global networks of consumerism, interpretation, and exchange. The exhibition pays special attention to the diverse strands of contemporary culture and art history that inform and inspire Murakami’s paintings and sculptures, while also highlighting both the joyful and obsessive qualities of his work. The provocative title is drawn from Murakami’s desire to create an exhibition that is “a dialogue with one’s own ego,” reflecting the artist’s struggle to create a private fictional universe in response to a growing information overload.

Murakami is one of the most famous Japanese artists in the world

The exhibition will feature some of the artist’s most celebrated series, including “Kaikai Kiki Lots of Faces” and “Pom and Me,” which will be presented in their entirety for the first time. For this presentation, Murakami has conceived of the exhibition itself as a work of art, creating new modes of display that include sculptural pedestals with digital animation, a circus tent that doubles as an indoor cinema, and a new 100-meter-long painting that wraps around the exhibition space. Most spectacularly, the artist will depict himself as a larger than life inflatable creature, greeting visitors at the entrance of the exhibition, turning the show into a giant self-portrait, in which Murakami appears as a character in his own typically supernatural world.

Murakami – Ego will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with writings and notes by Takashi Murakami, an interview with exhibition curator Massimiliano Gioni, and images from the exhibition.

Demonstrating a chronological narrative of the Games, the exhibition will feature items from the games, including medals, posters, programs, films and interviews of athletes, photographs, and educational activities that inform visitors about the history of the Arab Games, which first took place in Alexandria, Egypt, back in 1953.

The Arab Games exhibition serves as a unique display which walks visitors through the history of one of the region’s most anticipated sporting and cultural celebrations. The exhibition is divided into five sections, each portraying different periods of the Arab Games since their inception in 1947. The first section showcases the political agenda behind the concept of the Arab Games. This was followed by an era of Egyptian regional leadership. Then, a period of decline affected the consistency of the Games from 1965 to 1985 because of political turmoil in several Arab countries. A re-organization of the Arab Games with a new vision later started to emerge, eventually leading to the transformation of the Arab Games into a world-class stage for Arab athletes to perform.

Arab Games Exhibition in Katara will take place between the 5th of October and the 23rd of December

In addition, the Arab Games Exhibition sheds light on the participation and achievements of Qatari athletes in past Arab Games, showcasing some of their trophies, medals, and pictures. Alongside the exhibition, a series of educational activities catering to school children from various age groups are also planned during the exhibition period.

Commenting on the importance of this exhibition, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority stated: “The Qatar Museums Authority, with its responsibility to collect, restore, exhibit and educate, also recognizes its role in preserving the sports history and heritage of the Arab world.”

With preparations on track at the Arab Games Organizing Committee, Qatar is ready to welcome the rest of the Arab world for a spectacular series of sporting and cultural events that celebrate the shared traditions of all Arab communities. Therefore, the exhibit is designed to educate visitors from Qatar and its Arab neighbors about the history and evolution of the Arab Games.
Arab Games Doha 2011 is expected to draw over 8,000 athletes and officials representing 22 Arab countries.

The Arab Games Exhibition opens to the public daily from 8am-12pm and 3pm to 9pm during weekdays and on Fridays from 3:00 pm – 9:00pm. Admission is free of charge.