2023 Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar
15 March 2023 to 20 May 2023
Mathaf, M7, Majlis Barahat Al Jufairi , Al Koot Fort
The 2023 Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar is the second biennial programme of exhibitions, awards, commissions, collaborations, presentations and workshops that amplify diverse practices and dialogues of photographers and photographic communities in Qatar and the Western Asia and North Africa (WANA) region.
Established by Qatar Museums under the leadership of its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and supported by the Social & Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar is being developed as a focal point for the personal and professional creative growth of photographers and image-makers in the region, building on Qatar Museum’s commitment to nurture artistic talent, develop Qatar's arts economy and support creative industry.
The 2023 Exhibitions and Installations to be showcased at the locations mentioned previously are:
- I Am The Traveler And Also The Road – Mathaf (Opening 17 March)
- Mashael Al Hejazi: My Mother Lulwa's House – Majlis Barahat Al Jufairi (Opening 15 March)
- Hadeer Omar: And Thereafter – Al Koot Fort (Opening 15 March)
- Doha Fashion Fridays Exhibition – Gallery 3, M7 (Opening 15 March)
- A Chance To Breathe Exhibition – Gallery 3, M7 (Opening 15 March)
Doha Fashion Fridays
15 March – 20 May 2023
Gallery 3, M7
Doha Fashion Fridays is a unique collaborative project, initiated in 2017 by artists Khalid Albaih and Aparna Jayakumar, in which migrant workers living in Qatar are photographed and interviewed on Fridays, their day of rest. Using fashion as a lens and Instagram as its public platform, the project’s hundreds of images and interviews tell narratives about the diverse migrant population, who have come to Qatar with dreams and aspirations. This exhibition gives a new cultural platform to this historic visual account of life in contemporary Qatar and to the fashion styles and individuality of its participants. This exhibition is the start of a working relationship between Tasweer and Doha Fashion Fridays that will build into the launch of an internationally available book at Tasweer’s next biennial programme in 2025. During Tasweer 2023, there will be many opportunities for local photographers to meet with the Doha Fashion Fridays and Tasweer teams to find out about how to participate in the expansive next phase of this unique project.
A Chance To Breathe
15 March – 20 May 2023
Gallery 3, M7
A Chance To Breathe presents the remarkable photographs of Omal Khair, Dil Kayas and Azimul Hasson, who have been documenting their lives and those in their Rohingya refugee community living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh since 2018. By telling visual stories of life, resilience and hope, their photographs help reframe the prevailing narratives of violence, death and victimhood that often describe Rohingya refugees’ experiences. In 2019, Doha Debates teamed up with the human rights organisation Fortify Rights to equip and support these three talented photographers and give the world an inside look at the lives within the world’s largest refugee camp.
Mashael Al Hejazi: My Mother Lulwa's House
15 March – 20 May 2023
Majlis Barahat Al Jufair
Mashael Al Hejazi installation at Barahat Al Jufairi’s majlis honours the social and architectural character of this historic district of Doha and the collective memories and narratives of the Al Baraha community. Al Hejazi breathes life back into this prominent place with her portraiture of family members and poetically draws the neighbouring streets into the space with her cyanotype prints of architectural details and street scenes from Al Baraha. The overarching theme of her work is to re-inhabit this traditional Qatari place with the characteristics of a loving home and family, interwoven through the connecting spaces of the majlis, the mother’s room, and the liwan (courtyard). The artist photographically captures her subjects’ expressions and presence invites us to think about the key figures in our own nuclear families and experience the activation of Barahat Al Jufairi’s majlis in a personal way. The installation is initiated and organised by Tasweer in partnership with Qatar Museums’ Cultural Heritage Protection Department.
Hadeer Omar: And Thereafter
15 March – 20 May 2023
Al Koot Fort
Hadeer Omar is an Egyptian new media artist currently residing, teaching and practising her art in Doha, who has been commissioned to produce a contemporary response to the Al Koot Fort, which holds a unique and complex history. The artist draws upon the surrounding areas of Souq Waqif as sources of inspiration, weaving together traditional and contemporary aspects of daily life, translating and transforming them into surreal immersive environments. Omar’s installation - And Thereafter - activates Souq Waqif into a dynamic spatial experience that transforms three key areas of Al Koot Fort; ‘The Transition’ (courtyard), ‘The Journey’ (back room), and ‘The Metamorphosis’ (entrance room). She creates a heightened sense of the myriad sensory experiences in the souq through captured images and sounds, all uniquely choreographed in the designated spaces of the fort.
The artist created And Thereafter in collaboration with Sonic Jeel, an artistic collective exploring hybrid-media, initiated by Michael Hersrud and Simone Muscolino, and multidisciplinary designer Katia Kolovea. Initiated and organised by Tasweer, this installation is made possible through the partnership with Souq Waqif and the Private Engineering Office.
Beirut and the Golden Sixties
Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art
17 March 2023 to 05 August 2023
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art on 17 March is Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility, a multidisciplinary exhibition co-curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath that revisits a turbulent chapter in the development of modernism in Beirut, spanning the 1958 Lebanon Crisis to 1975 Lebanese Civil War.Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility is a tribute to the Beirut art scene of the 1960s, which witnessed an explosion of creativity and artistic experimentation and became a destination for many intellectuals and for artists from across the Arab world. The exhibited artworks - featuring 230 artworks and 300 archival documents drawn from nearly 40 collections worldwide - come from more than 30 institutional and private collections from Lebanon, Europe, UK and the USA. The exhibition adds 8 works from Mathaf’s collection and a number of archival documents that bring additional understanding of the artist’s practices.
I Am The Traveler And Also The Road
17 March – 20 May 2023
Mathaf
This exhibition is a visual journey that interconnects the articulate visions of twelve exceptional photographers working in the WANA region today. I Am The Traveler And Also The Road honours the photographic practices of Fatema AM Al-Doh, Hayat Al-Sharif, Shaima Al-Tamimi, Samar Saled Baiomy, Salih Basheer, Mohammed Elshamy, Reem Falaknaz, Rula Halawani, Mona Hassan, Mouneb Nassar, Fethi Sahraoui, and Abdo Shanan. They were recipients of the Sheikh Saoud Al Thani Project Award, an annual grant started by Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar in its inaugural year of 2021, to support the development or completion of photographic projects by photographers living in the WANA region.
The curious desert by Olafur Eliasson
National Museum of Qatar
19 March 2023 to 15 August 2023
The curious desert – on view from 19 March to 15 August 2023 – is the first solo exhibition of Olafur Eliasson’s work in the Gulf region. The exhibition brings together a dozen new site-specific installations located in the desert, near the Al Thakhira Mangrove in Northern Qatar, and an extensive gallery presentation at the National Museum of Qatar of artworks created over the artist's career. The outdoor installation consists of twelve temporary pavilions that Eliasson considers to form an artistic laboratory in the desert. Many of the experiments inside the pavilions utilise natural phenomena, such as wind, water, and sunlight, to create artworks that emerge over the course of the day or, as the seasons change, over the duration of the exhibition.
At the National Museum of Qatar, the gallery portion of the exhibition features a variety of artworks from different periods of Eliasson’s career and in a wide range of media, including expansive light installations, complex geometric models, photo series from Iceland, watercolours, optical devices and an extensive map of the research areas that occupy the artist and his studio. The themes that run throughout the two-part exhibition relate to the broad interests expressed in Eliasson’s wider practice. According to the artist, “The curious desert asks how we use vision and movement to make sense of our worlds; to make invisible phenomena visible and palpable; and to collect knowledge, engage in critical reflection, and construct worlds based on the stories that we live each day.”
ALREADY ON VIEW
Art Mill Museum 2030
Qatar Flour Mill Warehouse and Al Baraha, Doha
Ongoing till 30 March 2023
The Art Mill Museum 2030 exhibition announces the future museum of international modern and contemporary art developed by Qatar Museums in Doha. It introduces the vision and the definition of the museum, conceived by Catherine Grenier, as well as the architecture by the studio ELEMENTAL, led by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alejandro Aravena. Due to open in 2030, the Museum will transform an industrial flour mill site on the Corniche. It will include a Creative Village and a Garden by VOGT Landscape Architects, led by Günther Vogt. The Art Mill Museum will house an exceptional and completely international collection constituted over the last 40 years with multidisciplinary works of great diversity, dating from 1830 to the present.
The Majlis: A Meeting Place
Ongoing till 31 March 2023
National Museum of Qatar
Traditionally a place to receive and honour guests, the majlis is where people come together to discuss local events and issues, socialise and deepen their connection with each other. In 2015, the majlis was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) as “a cultural and social space”.
First unveiled at the 2021 Venice Biennale, this travelling exhibition – which includes a majlis structure built using bamboo and wool – is inspired by nomadic architecture and designed by internationally acclaimed bamboo architects Simón Vélez and Stefana Simic. This edition, hosted at the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ) and the Old Palace, explores the origins of the majlis structure, and the artisans, craftsmen and specialists who have become part of the object’s history. Another feature that visitors will enjoy is watching Qatari artists who practise the local tradition of Al-Sadu weaving. The weavers will use their knowledge of this indigenous craft to produce textile walls for the majlis.
Forever Valentino
Ongoing till 1 April 2023
M7
Forever Valentino is a major perspective exhibition that pays homage to the Maison’s founder, Valentino Garavani. The stunning theatrical experience which features over one-hundred-and-twenty pieces, is an exploration of the Haute Couture codes of the Maison which takes the visitor on a voyage through Rome, Valentino’s birthplace and where its identity lies.
World of Football
3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum
Ongoing till 1 April 2023
In 2022 Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™—the first time the world's biggest football tournament will be hosted in the Middle East. The Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum’s World of Football exhibition celebrates this historic occasion. And like a football match itself, it is displayed over two halves. The first half—Football for All, All for Football—examines the universal and global appeal of football; the beautiful game that is played, watched, and enjoyed by millions regardless of age, gender, nationality or socioeconomic status. The second half—The Road to Doha—follows the long journey to Qatar 2022, from the first FIFA World Cup matches in Uruguay in 1930, to the final at the Lusail Stadium on 18 December 2022. Visitors to the exhibition can relive memories of some of the greatest World Cup moments of the past, get behind the scenes of Qatar’s successful bid to welcome the world, and see the country’s plans. The final FIFA Making Memories section will grow during the exhibition, as objects and artefacts are added to celebrate and record historic milestones as teams make new World Cup history at Qatar 2022. The exhibition is supported by FIFA Museum, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, National Football Museum (UK), Musée National du Sport (France), and Qatar Football Association.
Lusail Museum: Tales of a Connected World
QM Gallery Al Riwaq
Ongoing till 29 April 2023
Qatar Museums (QM) will present a special exhibition at Al Riwaq Gallery that introduces a new museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron currently under development in Lusail. The new museum will draw on its world-class collection of Orientalist art, archaeological artefacts, and media from prehistoric times to the 21st century to create a new, enlightened, and constructive way of looking at the world to understand who we are, where come from, and where we are going.
The exhibition, anchored in Lusail, home of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, founder of Qatar, will explore moments of encounter and the vast networks across the Indian Ocean World which make connections possible. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Xavier Dectot, Director of the Lusail Museum, with Kholood Al Fahad, Curator; Monira Al Khayarin, Researcher, Dr. Sophie Bostock, Curator of Drawings, and Dr. Giles Hudson, Curator of Photographs. The exhibition is designed in collaboration with museum specialists Studio Adrien Gardère and Barker Langham.
Experience Al Jazeera
Ongoing till 29 April 2023
Fire Station, Doha
"Experience Al Jazeera" captures how Al Jazeera Media Network, over the past 25 years, has grown from a single pioneering TV channel to a global media phenomenon. The exhibition explores the meteoric trajectory of Al Jazeera, its emphasis on the human story, its founding values, editorial integrity, creative processes, and the technologies involved in the creation of award-winning content in multiple formats across a range of platforms. The Al Jazeera exhibition also includes interactive exhibits, such as a ‘Studio Experience’, where visitors can experience the Al Jazeera studio setting first-hand, and an ‘Al Jazeera Immersive’ section, which explores the use of virtual and augmented reality storytelling techniques in broadcasting. The "Experience Al Jazeera" exhibit illustrates the Network’s commitment to professionalism, independent journalism in the pursuit of the truth to inform and inspire its audiences globally.
Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You
Ongoing till 15 July 2023
QBEC Gallery, National Museum of Qatar
Curated by Tom Eccles and Bouthayna Baltaji, the installation invites visitors to embark on a journey of self-discovery through a multisensory experience that inspires introspection and awe. Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You symbolises humanity’s collective unconscious and the power of the mind. A key feature of the installation is the “pixels” that comprise 12,000 LED lights strung on cables throughout the gallery for visitors to navigate. Representing neurons, constantly firing and communicating with each other, the pulsing resin-encased bulbs have been programmed in choreography with a soundscape and video installation featuring abstract footage of Qatar’s landscapes.
A Sneak Peek at Qatar Auto Museum
Ongoing till 20 January 2024
Mawater Gallery, National Museum of Qatar
An exhibition in honour of the museum to come, A Sneak Peek at Qatar Auto Museum celebrates the mission to drive culture forward and to inspire the next generation of innovators, designers, engineers, collectors and policymakers through a shared passion for cars.
The new Qatar Auto Museum will explore the past, present and future of the automobile and its impact on global life and culture. It will spotlight the car as a proud marker of Qatar’s growth, a common thread between a diverse population and a unifying vehicle of culture and innovation. In line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, the development of Qatar Auto Museum will complement the state’s efforts to support the cultural, educational and tourism sectors, its strong investments in the automotive industry and its position as a host for global automotive events, such as the Qatar Geneva International Motor Show and the Formula 1.