Sara Al Obaidly’s picture: The Cement Factory.
DOHA: Qatar Museums (QM) has announced two open calls for photographers from Qatar to take part in upcoming projects organised as part of the Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture.
The first opportunity calls for Qatari photographers to apply to represent Qatar in the upcoming Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture Photography Exchange. To celebrate the cultural initiative, QM will be sending two Qatari photographers on assignment to Russia for up to two weeks each to create an inspiring portfolio that will help foster mutual understanding and cultural relations between the countries.
A final selection of photographs will be exhibited in forthcoming exhibitions held by QM, locally and internationally.
Commenting on the exhibition, Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director of QM’s Fire Station Artist in Residence Programme, said: “The annual photography exchange programme is an integral part of every Year of Culture, designed to foster inter-cultural dialogue with other countries. The opportunity to travel to Russia to capture such a vast and varying landscape, rich cultural heritage and modern beauty is a unique opportunity for any artist and I hope many of our talented photographers take this chance to experience a historic new location.”
Applications are open to Qatari citizens 18 years of age and older who should be available to travel to Russia for up to two weeks before the end of the year. Photographers who have previously represented Qatar as exchange photographers are also eligible to apply.
The second opportunity is open to all Qatar-based photographers who want to be considered for an upcoming international exhibition showcasing the best of Qatar contemporary photography. Photographers can choose to submit images that showcase any aspect of Qatar and all genres, styles and formats of photography are eligible.
“We are looking for photographs that communicate the richness and diversity of life in Qatar and help demonstrate the quality of contemporary photography from the country for an international audience. We are very much looking forward to seeing all the entries and choosing the best selection based on originality, insight and impact,” said QM’s Public Art Curator Sheikha Maryam Hassan Mohamed Al Thani who is helping oversee both photography selections.
All applications for the contemporary photography show must be submitted before midnight of May 19 through the online application form that can be found on www.qm.org.qa/en/qatar-contemporary-photography and by May 12 for the Year of Culture exchange initiative at: www.qm.org.qa/en/qatar-russia-photography-exchange.
