DOHA: An exhibition to create a dialogue between different generations and cultures in Qatar through objects and stories is being held at Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum.
Titled ‘Shifting Sands – A Journey of Qatar and its People’, the exhibition is curated by the museum in partnership with UCL Qatar.
The annual exhibition organised by UCL Qatar’s MA Museum and Gallery Practice students was inaugurated by Sheikh Turki bin Faisal Al Thani.
It is being held in the temporary exhibition space at Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, showcasing fine exhibits from the museum — from archaeological objects to a vehicle — demonstrating the range and depth of Sheikh Faisal’s collection.
The journey of Qatar, its people and objects are presented along with stories they collectively hold.
Set to create a unique experience, the exhibition incorporates different mediums and means such as the use of story-telling, interviews and videos. It’s being held under four themes:
‘Life in the desert’ features key elements of life in the desert that form the basis for traditions that characterise people’s relationship with the physical environment in Qatar.
‘Changing landscape’ showcases the change in the social landscape of Qatar, including the physical landscape, and its impact on people’s lives and their customs.
‘Socialising’, as a social practice, was essential in the past as a tool for communication and survival. Today, it reveals a rich tradition of hospitality that connects friends and family and creates bridges between cultures. Visitors will have several resting points to engage with the collection more intimately.
And ‘Icons’ represents Qatar’s culture. These are resolute icons associated with Qatar’s people and have remained steady throughout the country’s physical and cultural transformation.
The exhibition project is a practical, key element of MA Museum and Gallery Practice, allowing students to work as a team to organise a public exhibition from concept development to opening. During the event, students are involved in key roles such as curation and interpretation, project management, exhibition design, education and outreach, and marketing.The Peninsula
