On 4 December, in recognition of the UN General Assembly International Day of Banks, Club Suisse Doha hosted a forum focused on bilateral relations between Switzerland and Qatar in the areas of business and innovation, as well as cultural exchange. At the event, Swiss Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jacques Herzog shared plans for Qatar Museums’ future Lusail Museum at the newly established club, which is welcoming fans and dignitaries during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Hosted by the Ambassador of Switzerland to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Edgar Doerig, and presented under the patronage of the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, His Excellency Sheikh Bandar Bin Mohammed Al Thani, Herzog’s presentation about the museum under development highlighted Qatar’s commitment to preserving art, culture, and history through a diverse range of programmes. The event was attended by international Chairs and CEOs of banks and financial service companies as well as Qatari dignitaries including Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Lusail Museum President, His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Ali bin Saud Al Thani. The Lusail Museum will be constructed in Lusail, the home of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, the statesman, diplomat, and poet who was the founder of Qatar.
Under the leadership of Qatar Museums Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar Museums is scheduled to break ground on the new Lusail Museum in 2023. The museum will offer insight into the complex layers of perception, power, and politics that have shaped our world in the past and continue to do so today. Through vast and diverse collections, the Lusail Museum will tell nuanced stories about different groups of people connected across the Indian Ocean, focusing on themes of movement, identity, and exchange, while serving as a forum for much-needed dialogue about global challenges.
Qatar Museums is currently showcasing a special exhibition at QM Gallery Al Riwaq, Lusail Museum: Tales of a Connected World, which previews the vision for the new museum. The exhibition presents plans for the Lusail Museum, its architectural design, and its world-class collection of art. The exhibition sheds light on the past, present, and future of Lusail by showcasing 247 artefacts.
The central space in the exhibition is dedicated to the architecture of the new museum. This space is curated by the firm Herzog & de Meuron and presents the design process through wall projections and a large floor installation showcasing working models, concept images, and material samples. The room also includes a newly commissioned model of the Museum.
Accompanying Tales of a Connected World are three additional special exhibitions—presented at the Garage Gallery, Fire Station, QM Gallery Katara, and the Museum of Islamic Art—that give additional insights into the scope and viewpoint to be encountered in the new Lusail Museum. The three accompanying exhibitions, which tell diverse stories of the world, are: Experience Al Jazeera, on view at the Garage Gallery, Fire Station; Labour of Love: Embroidering Palestinian History, on view at QM Gallery Katara; and Raku Kichizaemon XV: Jikinyū’ – A Living Tradition of Japanese Pottery, on view at the Museum of Islamic Art, which displays a set of fourteen ceremonial tea bowls inspired by Qatar’s natural environment and people, featuring the poetry of Sheikh Jassim.
The Lusail Museum will be located on Al Maha Island, Lusail, complementing the newly opened Lusail Wonderland Park developed in association with Estithmar Ventures and IMG, in collaboration with Qatar Tourism and Qatari Diar.
Lusail Museum
The Lusail Museum is a museum of ideas and their history with a local anchor. It aims to provide an engaging and thought-provoking experience for visitors that addresses historic and contemporary cultural encounters. The journey starts in Lusail, and the location and its innate connection to the Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, connects the narrative to Qatar, its history and its current soft power policy.
Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and currently under development in Lusail City, Qatar, the museum offers insight into the movement of ideas and perspectives to reveal complex layers of perception, power and politics, which continue to frame how different people around the world understand each other today. The groundbreaking of the Museum will take place in 2023. Dr. Xavier Dectot has served as the Director of the Lusail Museum since 2019.
About Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, and the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival. Future projects include Dadu: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and the Lusail Museum. Qatar also has one of the largest and most ambitious public art programmes in the world. Through its Department of Archaeology, QM spearheads several initiatives to preserve and restore Qatar’s historical sites and buildings. QM also initiates and supports Creative Hubs that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. These include the Fire Station: Artist in Residence, M7 for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs. For more information visithttps://qm.org.qa