DOHA: Qatar Museums has announced a month-long public programme to accompany Countryside: A Place to Live, Not to Leave Exhibition, which is currently on view at QPS and the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ). The programming aims to bring together scholars, artists, students, and communities for conversations and hands-on activities that explore conservation, food systems, and sustainable futures. Events run from November 8–27, 2025 across QPS and key sites in Qatar.
Presented by the Qatar Preparatory School and the National Museum of Qatar, Countryside: A Place to Live, Not to Leave is an exhibition and manifesto by AMO/OMA that challenges urbanisation by rethinking the significance of the countryside. Building on its original Guggenheim presentation in 2020, this project examines a historically connected region stretching from Africa through the Middle East and Central Asia to Mongolia and China. Despite representing 80% of the global population, this vast geographical arc remains densely populated yet largely without major cities, offering a compelling alternative to urban life. Co-curated by architects Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal with AMO, this project establishes a laboratory for reimagining rural living, bringing together Qatar Museums, Qatar Fund for Development, Hassad food, Ministry of Environment, and Kahramaa and other Qatar-based institutions.
This includes programme highlights such as Student Presentations — Imagining Rural Environmental Futures taking place on November 22 at QPS (G21 Classroom) from 4pm-5pm.
Georgetown University in Qatar’s students from the course Imagining Rural Environmental Futures will present their final works that explore how imagination, design, and storytelling can shape more sustainable and connected rural futures.
Following the presentations, a facilitated panel discussion will invite students to delve deeper into their creative processes, the themes behind their projects, and the broader questions about how we envision rural life in a changing world.
Also, there is the Jamdani Weaving Talk — The Story Told by Jamdani Weaving on November 27 at QPS (G21 Classroom) from 3pm-5pm.
You can join Nobel Prize–winning economist Prof. Abhijit Banerjee and architectural historian and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier for an engaging panel discussion on the past, present, and future of Jamdani weaving. Through the presentation of original drawings and woven scrolls, a vivid story of India’s vibrant history will be uncovered, from the timeless scenes of beautiful craftsmanship to the powerful forces of colonial rule, migration, and re-industrialisation.
