The title ‘Here There’ is influenced by what connects the two cultures — as represented

in the one letter difference in each word in Arabic and English languages: ‘Hunak’

(minus k) in Arabic and ‘There’ (minus T) in English, writes Umer Nangiana

 

 

From traditional mediums to digital art and installations to interactive works and contemporary design works, it brings together a range of ideas in a splendid show of awe-inspiring artistic expression.

Stepping into ALRIWAQ Gallery one of these days, you enter a world of imaginative brilliance. It is ‘Here There’, showcasing works by artists from Qatar and Brazil, exploring the context of where we come from and what we maintain as part of this organic change.

Some never-seen-before pieces of art by immensely talented artists from the two countries entail an innate observation and profound appreciation. It is a literal commentary on the transformation of culture and society within the two countries.

The exhibition falls under the Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture 2014, as part of Qatar Museums’ annual initiative in establishing cultural ties between Qatar and countries around the world.

“The title ‘Here There’ is influenced by what connects the two cultures, as represented in the one letter difference in each word as per the Arabic and English languages. Detaching the last letter from the ‘Hunak’ in Arabic and the first letter from the word ‘There’ in English will leave us with ‘Huna’, or ‘Here’, respectively,” says QM while introducing the exhibition to the viewers.

Inside the galleries, ALRIWAQ is split into two parts, with each dedicated to one of the two countries, Qatar (Here) and Brazil (There).

Organised by the Qatar Museums Public Art department in collaboration with Astrup Fearnley Museet in Oslo, Norway and Musée d’Art Contemporain in Lyon, France, the exhibition has a selection of artists that range from established ones to emerging and first time exhibitors.

The selected artists present a new artistic language through research and experimentation with materials, demonstrating a strong awareness and social engagement within their cultures.

On entering the lobby area of the gallery, you will come across two murals on either side — by Brazilian artist Speto on the right of entrance, and Qatari artist Mohammed al-Nesef on the left.

Moving on through the pyramid of exhibition halls of the gallery, you will encounter some ideas impressively done. While some artists have used techniques and mediums consuming minimum of space to convey their messages, others have gone an extra mile to create lifelike images and objects to express their feelings.   

One such installation on display is created by Qatari artist Khalifa al-Obaidly, primarily a photographer, who has been exploring the subject of migrant workers for a long time.

Created in 2014, his first installation piece, ‘Workers’, further explores this subject, where the presence of sculpture and sound emulates a construction site. The medium in which the sculptures are created is derived from materials these workers utilise on a daily basis.

This recreation of an existing scene conveys one we do not necessarily witness from the men at work, yet one we live when we engage in a conversation with one another.

Life-size construction dummies, created as stand-alone figures from existing construction sites, surround the room would lead you to exit into the next gallery.

Two more sculptures, two-metres in height, dressed in construction uniform, surrounded by a steel structure, personify the man at work. “In this setting, you are invited to experience the daily environment migrant workers surround themselves in,” says the curator.

Aisha al-Suwaidi, a Qatari designer, is another featuring artist displaying two projects ‘Finding History in the Future’, and ‘Domestic Midkhan.’ Her work focuses primarily on her culture, and the way the environment in Qatar transforms drastically.

Finding History in the Future explores the change and development Qatar has faced, and is still facing, since the past couple of decades. The series of works examines people’s interaction with their surroundings, bringing together elements that create our modern environment, such as concrete, with traditional objects that are used on a day to day basis in a traditional Qatari household.

From utilising natural medium, found locally, to artificial materials, Aisha’s work explores these themes through an analysis of traditional behaviours that are modernised, or have faded with time.

“The works here invite you to interact with them through smelling the objects, or touching them to either trigger your memory or make you learn more about these objects, and where they come from,” add the curators.

Construction sites can be witnessed all around Doha, and through the series of toys created by using building materials and concrete, Aisha introduces these objects to the youth to involve them in the development going on today.

In one of the halls, you will see beautiful paintings by Mubarak al-Malik. A painter and sculptor, Malik draws influence from several subjects he holds closer to home, and one example would be the Qatari woman in a traditional garment.

One of the displays is Jilwa, a traditional act in wedding ceremonies in this part of the world and part of the Qatari pre-wedding henna events. The scene in the painting is divided where the central figure is that of the bride, surrounded by women at either end, holding together textiles over her head.

The two subjects on either end of the central figure are standing in a parallel composition to one another. Although entirely abstract, a sense of movement is created through the flow and transparency of the colours in the textiles.

“The vibrant selection of colours in the work is derived from traditional garments, such as jalabiyas, and the patterns found in them, whether paisley, floral or polka dotted,” the curator explains.

A common motif found in the artist’s other works is the shape of a heart. Illusions of the shape are conveyed through the figurative forms juxtaposed with the textiles in their garments and the ones carried on top of the bride.

On the Brazilian side is Mayana Redin, one of the many artists having their works on display.

Mayana Redin’s series Ruina (Ruins) consists of old postcards placed on shelves. They show tourist attractions such as religious buildings, beautiful nature, or mass-tourism’s beaches and swimming pools. Pictures like these are presented to us through advertisements and guidebooks even before we travel to a place and influence our experience of a place as well as reinforcing stereotyped ideas about it.

Mayana Redin explores and manipulates the social and historical significance of these postcards, which she finds in the flea markets of Rio de Janeiro, her home city. Her methods have a lot in common with Mail Art, an art movement in which artists send collages and small artworks all over the world through the postal system.

The art form originated with the Fluxus A movement and American artist Ray Johnson was one of the pioneers of the art form. It was also widespread in Brazil during the 1970s, in the early years of the military dictatorship, when sending art through the post took on a political dimension.

Another installation is done by talented Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth. His art, the curator of the exhibition says, is difficult to pin down since he uses his own body to explore identity, history, racism and immigration.

‘Here There’ presents his installation Bureaux de Langue (The Language Offices). It consists of dictionaries of various languages, a workbench, videos and a sound track created by Paulo Nazareth, in which he attempts to learn Guarani — Kaiowas, a language of indigenous people living in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

Also included are drawings that Nazareth used when he was learning the language. For Bureau-x de Langue, Nazareth wishes to invite a resident from Qatar, who speaks neither Arabic nor English, to meet the public.

“Like the artist, he will be able to use dictionaries, sign language, drawings and interpersonal contacts in order to make himself understood,” adds the curator. The exhibition features works by a great number of artists from both countries and runs till 30 March 2015. For the Brazilian side, the exhibition was curated by Gunnar B Kvaran, Director, Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects, Serpentine Galleries, London, UK besides Thierry Raspail, Director, Musée d’Art Contemporain, Lyon, France.

For Qatar, Alanoud al-Buainain, Curator, Public Art Department, Qatar Museums and Khalifa
al - Obaidly, Director, Msheireb Art Center, Doha, Qatar curated the exhibition.

 


 

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