The 'Back to Msheireb: Shared Streets - Shared Stories’ exhibition which opened at Mohammed Bin Jassim House in Msheireb Museums yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
Found objects and oral histories of personal memories of Msheireb - a former commercial neighbourhood in the heart of Doha - are displayed at ‘Back to Msheireb: Shared Streets - Shared Stories’ exhibition which opened yesterday at Mohammed Bin Jassim House in Msheireb Museums.
Organised by students of UCL Qatar as part of their yearly UCL Qurates initiative of the Masters in Museum and Gallery Practice programme, this temporary exhibition interprets the vibrancy of Qatar’s historic Msheireb through an installation of pop-up stores inspired by the eclectic and often quirky character of this part of Doha.
Street and old store signs and goods sold in the stores such as textiles and electronics as well as old belongings left behind by Msheireb’s residents resonate interesting stories which reflect the vitality of Msheireb as a commercial district.
Msheireb became the popular destination for shopping, and a hub for small local community between the 1980s and 2000s – long before the wider “mall culture” spread throughout the country – and allowed the meeting of diverse cultures, tastes, languages, and traditions.
Hafiz Ali, Director of Msheireb Museums said: “We are delighted to include such a carefully curated exhibition which documents the city’s history and progression and allows us to preserve and share these stories with the community. Msheireb Museums are honored to provide a platform that nurtures our future leaders’ development, enhances the cultural scene of our city and enables people to learn more about Qatar’s rich heritage.”
Over the last few months, the students have had the opportunity to explore and conduct curatorial research around Msheireb Museums’ collection of objects and oral history archives, curating a temporary exhibition that complements the scope of the permanent galleries in the Mohammed Bin Jassim House.
“This student-led project is a crucial, assessed component of the master’s programme, which seeks to bridge the gap between museum theory and practice. The project affords our students– who are undergoing rigorous graduate training to further professionalise or to enter the museum profession, in Qatar or abroad – the unique opportunity to implement knowledge acquired on the programme, working collaboratively with a museum,” said Dr Sam Evans, Director of UCL Qatar.
The exhibition is open until July 27 at Mohammed Bin Jassim House- one of four heritage houses which has been restored located within the Heritage Quarter, a historic area of Msheireb Downtown Doha.
