Doha: Hamad International Airport (HIA) has two new art pieces installed for passengers and visitors to experience — ‘Al Koora’, created by volunteers of Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) in collaboration with Qatari artists, and ‘Desert Horse’, a unique and striking sculpture by acclaimed Qatari artist Ali Hassan.
This is Hassan’s third piece of art that has a permanent home at HIA.
The new pieces join the growing collection of paintings, sculptures and installations by local and international artists at the airport. On show at HIA are works by Qatari artists Amal Al Raban, Ali Hassan, Mubarak Al Malik and Salman Al Malik — in the Oryx and Al Maha lounges.
Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, Acting CEO, QM, said: “We are committed to enriching the lives of all those who live in and visit Qatar. Crucial to this is our public art programme which creates memorable cultural experiences outside our museums and galleries, including in striking spaces such as HIA.
“We are proud to be adding more world-class art to the collection at HIA to inspire millions of visitors and residents who fly through HIA each year. The new works create a powerful and ambient presence and underline our commitment to invest in talented Qatari artists.”
Engineer Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer, HIA, said: “HIA prides itself for being an innovative exhibition space. Art is an integral part of HIA, having been designed to house permanent and temporary exhibitions. Passengers are exposed to a diverse set of artistic media, including paintings, sculpture, electronic and interactive installations.
“Our terminal is a public space that welcomes millions of people every year and is an ideal space to interact with art. The exposure such a venue gives artists, especially budding Qatari artists, is exceptional.”
‘Al Koora’ project was developed by the ROTA Volunteer programme. ROTA empowers local communities by providing access to quality primary and secondary education to children affected by crisis across Asia. Forty children with special needs from seven institutions collaborated with students from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU-Q) and artists to create a work of art that represents Qatar through different elements.
This reflects the character of its people and its natural environment – in the past, present and future.
Paintings, drawings and poems were assembled to form the iconic standing landmark, created as a gesture of gratitude to Father Emir
H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for winning Qatar’s bid to host 2022 FIFA World Cup.
‘Desert Horse’ captures the history and spirit of travel in Qatar in the past. The iconic sculpture measuring 8m x 6m was created using intricate sculpting techniques to interpret the spirit of travel and the flow of movement to signify how the Bedouins travelled in history. The artwork is an interpretation of the iconic desert horse.
The Peninsula
