Doha: In a landmark international TV interview, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson, Qatar Museums (QM), spoke exclusively to CNN International on Qatar Museums’ (QM) ambitions and focus on developing arts, heritage and creativity in the country.
The interview was a highlight of the launch episode of CNN Style, a new monthly TV programme on topics, including art, architecture and design, which was launched on Saturday on CNN International.
She discussed themes, including the importance of investing in culture, QM’s focus on nurturing emerging talent, bringing contemporary artists to Qatar and QM’s latest exhibition as part of the Qatar China 2016 Year of Culture: What About the Art? Contemporary Art from China.
The exhibition, curated by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang features the works of 15 of China’s most significant contemporary artists and is currently on show at the QM Gallery, Al Riwaq until July 16.
On turning Qatar into a “world class destination for culture”, she said: “I think for as long as I can remember, art has been part of our culture. It has always been part of our identity, whether it’s preserving heritage, archaeology, excavation and collecting all sorts of art.”
Launching the Fire Station ‘Artist in Residence’ initiative to nurture the talent of young Qatari artists and residents in Qatar.
Sheikha Mayassa is credited with transforming Qatar’s old Civil Defence building into studio spaces for artists, known as the Fire Station ‘Artist in Residence’ initiative, which is part of QM’s strategy to nurture emerging talent and inspire an indigenous culture of creativity and innovation. The initiative, which began in September 2015, spans a period of nine months and offers studio space and mentoring and tutoring for 20 artists from a range of different disciplines, including art, photography, design and architecture. QM created the Fire Station as an artist hub to support the local creative community to encourage an exchange between artists, and to perpetuate the budding landscape through local production and creativity.
Sheikha Mayassa said: “We’re trying to bring the best of the best from around the world or the most influential people to think in creative ways, because creative people come up with the best solutions to times of change. We have invested a lot in education, and culture was the second thing we invested highly in.”
On bringing some of the world’s leading contemporary artists to Qatar, including Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, and Cai to inspire future generations of artistic talent and engage the local community, she said: “Most contemporary art is provocative. And a lot of people say for good art to be good, it should be provocative. We are very clear with the artists that you are free to decide on your exhibition, but you are not free to be insulting to our culture or traditions.”
The interview also explored Cai’s exhibition. Following the huge success of his solo exhibition Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab at Mathaf in 2011, Cai has returned to Qatar as a curator to present the exhibition featuring contemporary Chinese artists and collectives born in Mainland China.
On QM’s longstanding relationship with Cai, she said: “Cai is a very generous artist. When he came here for his Saraab exhibition in 2011, he was here for about two and a half months, working with students.
“He became so famous walking around the city that everyone would call him by his first name bringing art from China is quite important for us given that the art scene there is growing very rapidly so it’s really an exchange of knowledge. We’re really excited to have something of this calibre.”
Art as a bridge between cultures that connects entities in Qatar and the world.
The interview ended with Sheikha Mayassa discussing the power of art and the effect it has on shaping culture and acting as a valuable bridge between cultures: “Art is very powerful because it has no boundaries and you don’t need to belong to any country, or religion or social class. It brings people from all walks of life together to talk about an idea. There is no limit to it.” QNA
