Qatar Museums today announced the plans for six exhibitions that will open during the first week of Design Doha, the biennial showcase for excellence and innovation in the design community in Qatar and the MENA region. The opening week of the biennial will run from 24 February to 28 February,with programming continuing through 5 August 2024.
The exhibition programme will be anchored by Arab Design Now, a regional survey of more than 70 Arab designers featuring 38 commissioned works, which will be on view at M7, Doha’s centre for innovation, entrepreneurship, fashion, and design. Encompassing themes that respond to the unique geographies and cultural values of the region, the exhibition highlights the design sentiments, aesthetics, and preoccupations of the Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa.
Curated by Rana Beiruti, founder of Amman Design Week, Arab Design Now examines how local and regional designers balance contemporary design with traditional methods derived from the region’s heritage, with a particular focus on environmental concerns and sustainable design. The exhibition is accompanied by a major publication, the first to survey multiple projects by all the pioneering designers participating in the exhibition.
Rana Beiruti stated, “Designers, from the Levant to the Gulf to North Africa, exhibit a commitment to heritage-based traditions and rituals, and an eagerness to rediscover, reinterpret, and evolve them. Their design process is inspired by a culture centred on community, collaboration, and co-creation. Their material sensibilities exhibit an intimate relationship with the land and earth and respond to the unique geographies of the region.”
Designers featured in Arab Design Nowinclude Yousef and Elias Anastas (Palestine), Basma Hamdy (Qatar), Levi Hammett (Qatar), Ali Ismail Karimi (Bahrain), Hamed Bukhamseen (Kuwait), Nermeen and Nisreen Abudail (Jordan), David Raffoul (Lebanon), Nicolas Moussallem (Lebanon), Hala Al-Ani (UAE), Hadeyeh Badri (UAE), Riem Ibrahim (UAE), Georges Mohasseb (Lebanon), 40MUSTAQEL (Egypt), Najla’a Abdallah (Jordan), Ahmad Jarrar (Jordan), Haria Hibri (Lebanon), Huda Baroudi (Lebanon), Irthi Council(UAE), Maia Beyrouti (Palestine), Natlie Mahakian (Jordan), Achraf Mzily (Morocco), Turki and Abdulrahman Gazzaz (KSA), Edoardo Pandolfo (Italy), Francesco Palu (Italy), Azel Ait-Mokhtar (Algeria), Youri Asantcheeff (Algeria), Tessa and Tara Sakhi (Lebanon), Thomas Modeen (Kuwait), Maysaa Almumin (Kuwait), Batool Alshaikh (Bahrain), Maitham Almubarak (Bahrain), Christian Vennerstrom Jensen (Bahrain), Hozan Zangana (Iraq), Abeer Seikaly (Jordan), Christian Zahr (Lebanon), Ali Kaaf (Syria/Algeria), Tamara Barrage (Lebanon), Maryam Yousuf Al-Homaid (Qatar), Najla El Zein (Lebanon), Omar El Wakil (Egypt), Sahel Alhiyari (Jordan), Samer Selbak (Palestine), Talin Hazbar (Syria), Anne Holtrop (Bahrain), Salima Naji (Morocco), Hala Kaiksow (Bahrain), Sherine Salla (Egypt), Carla Baz (Lebanon), Mary-Lynn and Carlo Massoud (Lebanon), Sama El Saket (Jordan), Charles Cremona (Lebanon), Flavie Audi (Lebanon), Hamza Kadiri (Morocco), Joe and Amanda Bou Abboud (Lebanon), Lina Alorabi (Egypt), Louis Barthelemy (Morocco/Egypt), Nada Debs (Lebanon), Nada Rizk (Lebanon), Nader Gammas (Syria), Sizar and Sinar Alexis (Iraq), Thomas Trad (Lebanon), Mohammad Sharaf (Kuwait), Adrian Pepe (Lebanon), Aisha Nasser Alsowaidi (Qatar), Anastasia Nysten (Lebanon), Hussein Alazaat (Jordan), Lameice abu Aker (Palestine), Nedim Kufi (Iraq), Filwa Nazer (KSA), Noor Alwan (Bahrain), Ishraq Zraikat (Jordan), Tasneem and Ishraq Zraikat (Jordan), Karen Chekerdjian (Lebanon), Meriem Chebani (Algeria), John Edom (Algeria), Nahla Tabbaa (Jordan), Richard Yasmine (Lebanon), Kawther Alsaffar (Kuwait), Jassim Al Nashmi (Kuwait), Abdulrahman Al Muftah (Qatar), Aline Asmar d’Amman (Lebanon, France), Amina Agueznay (Morocco), Amine Asselman (Morocco), Asma Derouiche (Qatar), Dima Srouji (Palestine), Smar Saadeh (Lebanon), Hiba Shahzada (Jordan), Dina Haddadin (Jordan), Omar Al Burg (UAE), and Nora Aly (Egypt).
In addition to Arab Design Now, five additional exhibitions will open as part of the inaugural edition of Design Doha. They are Colours of the City: A Century of Architecture in Doha; Weaving Poems; 100/100 HUNDRED BEST ARABIC POSTERS Round 04; Crafting Uzbekistan: Tradition in Threads, and Cultural Kinship.
The Artistic Director of Design Doha, Glenn Adamson, said, “The inaugural edition of our biennial spans the full breadth of design in the Arab world, showing the vitality of the region’s creatives. Featuring conversations with global industry leaders – as well commissions from international designers, a juried prize, and more, Design Doha be an important new platform for regional designers. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to advance their artistic and commercial practices, and welcome the international design community to Doha.”
Colours of the City: A Century of Architecture in Doha,on view from 24 February through March 2024, is a dual-themed exhibition that explores the city’s architectural evolution in response to global influences. The show traces the architectural history of Doha through a variety of styles including 'Arabic Deco,' Doha Classicism, and Qatari adaptations influenced by Euro-American and Indian styles, as well as the era of Brutalism as exemplified by Hisham Qaddumi. Ibrahim Al Jaidah's narrative is explored in the second section of the exhibition, examining his projects such as the Al Thumama stadium for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, demonstrating how Al Jaidah's designs harmonise cosmopolitan and regional heritage elements. Through 3-D models, photos, interviews, and film, the exhibition threads its way through Doha's architectural fabric. The exhibition is co-curated by Design Doha Artistic Director Glenn Adamson and Peter Tamas Nagy.
Turquoise Mountain, a non-profit organisation founded by His Majesty King Charles III, presents the captivating Weaving Poems, a showcase of the talent of Afghan-born, Amman-based designer Maryam Omar, who has been commissioned to create a series of abstract carpets inspired by the rich oral heritage of women weavers in Afghanistan, and co-created with artisan communities still practising today. Presented at the M7 theatre space from 24 February until March 2024, each carpet bears testament to the creativity and cultural heritage of Afghanistan. Omar has drawn deeply from the poems associated with weaving practice, cherished by the women weavers. The carpets, hand-woven by women artisans in Afghanistan, are a response to the natural and cultural landscape of the Bamiyan region and convey the qualities of its sky, mountains, earth, and ecology. Through vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and delicate textures, Maryam Omar brings to life the enchanting lyricism and soulful narratives passed down through generations. The installation is completed with passages transcribed from the communal poems and by photography and sound recordings that capture the voices of these extraordinary women.
Celebrating the brilliance of Arabic graphic design, 100/100 HUNDRED BEST ARABIC POSTERS Round 04, will be presented in Qatar for the first time during Design Doha. An independent platform dedicated to celebrating Arabic graphic design, 100/100 — HUNDRED BEST ARABIC POSTERS Round 4 documents the contemporary visual culture of the Arab world through poster design, aiming to inspire, connect, and educate new talents, academics, and professionals. In the biennial competition, an independent jury selects the top 100 posters from a submission across the region. Design Doha will display the posters from the recent, fourth round of the project at M7 Creative Startup Hub from 24 February until March 2024.
Cultural Kinship,a pop-up design exhibit and retail experience, will be presented alongside Arab Design Now at M7. Curated by Joe Bou Abboud, founder of Boo Design Studio, and Asma Derouiche, creative director at Studio 7 Qatar. The exhibition will showcase the richness of the Middle Eastern and Arab identity through innovative design products. It establishes a dialogue between traditional and contemporary design practices, highlighting the evolving nature of cultural identity. Participating creators include Wael Morcos, Maryam Al-Homaid, Marco Bruno, Giovanni Innella, Yasmeen Suleiman, House of Today, Abdulrahman Muftah, Thomas Modeen, Asma El-Derouiche, Boo design studio, The Project, Sizar Alexis Azza Dsouli, Archivart X Akacha, and Majdulin Nasrallah.
Finally, Crafting Uzbekistan: Tradition in Threads presented by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation integrates the rich history of Uzbek craft tradition with contemporary creativity. The immersive showcase opens by providing a focus on wood and textile craft with a selection of historical and contemporary artefacts including handwoven silk ikat and Bakhmal fabrics showcased in parallel with rich carved wooden traditional objects. The scenography stands as an atmospheric experience rooted from the traditional crafts of Uzbekistan. It uses ‘optical weaving’ (with 31,000 lenticular tiles with 26,000,000 threads in total) as a conceptual logic to drive the aesthetic and spatial qualities of the space, with an emphasis on colour and triggering the senses. The exhibition features 50 craft pieces, including a new creation for Design Doha from Lebanese designer Nada Debs who will unveil her new creation produced together with the Uzbek wood master Sirojiddin Rahmatillaev that offers a modern interpretation of a traditional and iconic furniture element. Crafting Uzbekistan: Traditions in Threads opens on 24 February 2024 at M7.
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About Design Doha
Design Doha, a new biennial for Qatar, is a new platform for local, regional, and global design excellence. Established by Qatar Museums under the leadership of its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the initiative is comprised of exhibitions, commissions, and associated programming. Projects are developed in close collaboration with local institutions such as M7, Liwan, VCU Qatar, and Msheireb Properties, as well as international partners, establishing a strong base of support and fostering a sense of community ownership. The event is held every two years, providing an ongoing focus for the rising energy of Qatar’s creative sector.
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, restores, and expands the nation's cultural offerings and historical sites, 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, educate, and encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, and amplify the voices of Qatar's people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum. Future museums include Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar, Qatar Auto Museum, Art Mill Museum, and the Lusail Museum.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and the creative hub for innovation, fashion, and design M7—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
About Qatar Creates
Qatar Creates curates, celebrates, and promotes cultural activities within Qatar. Working with partners in museums, film, fashion, hospitality, cultural heritage, performing arts, and the private sector in Qatar, the Qatar Creates platform amplifies the voice of Qatar’s creative industries, directly connecting audiences to events.
About Msheireb Properties
A national real estate development company and a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation, Msheireb Properties was established as a commercial venture to support the foundation in achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030. The company aims to enrich people’s lives and improve the overall quality of how they live, work, and thrive by creating modern, innovative, and authentic developments.
Msheireb Properties partnered with industry leaders and experts in order to align the architectural lessons of the past with the latest in eco-friendly technologies. This new approach to urban planning combines traditional methods and modern technology to preserve the environment as well as the cultural identity of Qatar.
An emerging leader in sustainable development, Msheireb Properties uses its new design language to create buildings with a shared DNA, reviving local heritage and culture through a unified architectural idiom.
Its signature city district, Msheireb Downtown Doha, is developing a blueprint for sustainable urban regeneration.
Msheireb Properties received ISO certification from the British Standards Institution for quality (ISO 9001:2015), environmental performance (ISO 14001:2015), occupational health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001:2007), and Risk Management Standard (ISO 31000:2009).
About Turquoise Mountain
Turquoise Mountain supports artisans to thrive and revitalise their heritage. Turquoise Mountain was founded in 2006 by His Majesty King Charles III, and currently works in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the Middle East. It is rooted in the belief that artisanal heritage matters, has the power to transform lives, and can connect people locally and around the world.
Turquoise Mountain has trained thousands of artisans and builders, restored over 150 historic buildings, and organised major international exhibitions - from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. The organisation has brought over $17 million in sales of handmade craftsmanship to international markets, working with prestigious international retailers, from Bloomingdales and Kate Spade in New York to five-star hotels around the world, including The Connaught, Four Seasons, and Fairmont, developing contemporary products inspired by heritage traditions that provide viable incomes for artisans.
About Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation
Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation was founded in 2017 by the decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, fosters international cooperation and promotes the culture of Uzbekistan on the international stage. It showcases the national heritage by initiating projects in the fine arts, architecture, literature, theater, music, craft, design and dance. The mission of the Foundation is to create an inclusive and accessible environment in the country's cultural institutions, to contribute to the renovation of museums, and to develop cultural patronage and professional training for the arts and culture sector.