Qatar Museums has unveiled a series of public art installations at the newly opened Crescent Park in Lusail City. The artworks are created by students – enrolled at Qatar University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Weill Cornell Medicine – who participated in a Public Art Annual Student Competition exhibition in collaboration with Qatari Diar.
The public artworks of Ahmed Mahrous, Hanof Ahmed, Hend Jamal, Majdulin Nasrallah, Reema Abu Hassan, Shaden Al Riyabi, and Shatha Al Riyabi explore concepts ranging from Qatari culture, wildlife, and messages dedicated to the local efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the seven public artworks, three winning installations will be selected by a judging panel comprising representatives from Qatar Museums.
“Qatar Museums is honoured to have partnered with Qatari Diar to further expand our aim of nurturing a thriving public art scene through artworks that reflect the artistic expression of the wider community. Their generous allocation of Crescent Park means everyone can visit and experience this year’s outcomes of student works from various universities. Also, in partnership with Qatari Diar, Qatar Museums will be installing a number of Public artworks throughout Lusail city in the next two years. Furthermore, as part of our ongoing public art initiative, we are also delighted to announce the addition of two new artwork installations by renowned international artists to Mshiereb downtown Doha’s collection.”
Abdulrahman Al-Ishaq, Director of Public Art at Qatar Museums
“Qatari Diar is pleased to cooperate with Qatar Museums in displaying artworks for the local student competition. This is based on the belief of Qatari Diar of the importance of public artworks in public places that would create a link between the human being and the surrounding architectural environment. The Crescent Park was chosen to display these works because of its distinguished location and ease of access, which provides an opportunity for everyone to visit the park and enjoy the artworks on display.”
Hamad Ali Abdulmalik, Director of Development at Qatar Diar
Crescent Park is one of the most striking attractions of the residential Fox Hills district in Lusail. Stretching over 275,000 sqm, the park is visible to onlookers with a unique arch marking the entrance to the park. The park is becoming an increasingly popular destination in the eyes of its visitors who are attracted by its green open spaces, themed playgrounds, and bicycle and pedestrian tracks.
A range of sports facilities is available at Crescent Park covering a variety of activities that include a nice sunken football pitch, three basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and three tennis courts. Additionally, a purpose-built play area has been constructed for children made up of slides, climbing structures, and exciting architecture.
New public art at Msheireb Downtown Doha
The new public artworks include an installation by Subodh Gupta at M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha. Gupta presents two 2.5 metre spoons stacked upon one another as one would often finds in any cutlery tray. The perfect fit of one spoon into another is a simple, even elementary, metaphor, yet placed before the viewer’s eyes his work elevates this domestic visual into the ultimate representation of balance and harmony.
Next to the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Qatar Museums has installed Turquoise City by Mark Handforth, a sculpture inspired by the artist’s visit to Msheireb. The sculpture is a monumental tower of truncated turquoise tubes, irregularly chopped and jauntily stacked, yet flowing in an inevitable spiral, forming a quasi-organic assemblage of urban, industrial matter. The form of Turquoise City suggests something of a fern, a spiral, a fractal, the inevitable curling motion of winding and unwinding, much like the unfolded beginnings of so much life.
