By Anand Holla
Last week, on a particularly wind-swept evening, the charming atrium at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) had turned itself into a harbinger of an epic cultural milestone.
Around 100 VIP guests cheered and welcomed Qatar Museums’ launch of arguably the grandest cultural magnum opus of the year – Qatar Turkey 2015 Year of Culture – which, through the year, will celebrate the 500-year-old history and brotherhood between Qatar and Turkey as much as it will fete the excellent existing bilateral relations between the two countries.
Launched in 2012 by Qatar Museums (QM), the Year of Culture initiative is dedicated “to enhance cultural exchange between nations, by sponsoring and supporting dialogue among nations, and promoting coexistence between different religions and cultures.”
This year, QM, Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Qatar, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Turkey, have partnered to put together a series of delightful events and activities in both Qatar and Turkey. The Year of Culture events are classified under four main categories – Art & Culture, Community & Education, Sports and Business & Trade.
QM says that the Qatar Turkey Year of Culture will witness a confluence of a group of cultural institutions, educators, government bodies, businesses and game-changers – Doha Film Institute, Katara, Qatar Tourism Authority, and Rota, to name a few – who believe in cultural exchange as a medium that makes two nations stronger.
Held under the patronage of QM’s Chairperson, Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Qatar Turkey Year of Culture will be the fourth consecutive one, following three successful editions: Qatar Japan 2012, Qatar UK 2013 and Qatar Brazil 2014.
Community caught up with Aisha Ghanem al-Attiya, Cultural Diplomacy Project Manager, Qatar Museums, to know more:
What kinds of programmes and initiatives have been planned for the Qatar Turkey Year of Culture?
We have planned a rich and varied programme that includes exhibitions, performances, individual artist programmes, music concerts, film screenings, educational workshops, and cultural exchange events. A host of activities will be held in both countries. But for us, the highlights will be the Pearls exhibition (now seen by more than 250,000 visitors in Japan, UK and Brazil), the Hunt exhibition (a new one curated by MIA, it will explore images from Qatari and Ottoman Royal collections) and the open air Turkish Festival and Bazaar at the MIA Park, later this year.
How will this be different or bigger than the previous Year of Culture programmes?
As every partnering country and their institutions are different, we deal each year with a different culture that brings their best. To us, it’s not so much a matter of “how big” it can be, but how we measure success through co-operation made between institutions, and most of all, the people in both countries who come to the events to enjoy the experience of discovering another culture. Each Year of Culture reflects the unique aspects of the partner country’s culture. I think the long history of trading and engagement between Turkish and Arab people and the common Islamic culture will bring a special feel to this year’s programme.
What is the significance of Qatar teaming up with Turkey for 2015?
Diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries are very strong and this is a great moment to build on this in the cultural arena as well. Also, until now, each Year of Culture reflected a different continent: South America (Brazil), East-Asia (Japan) and Europe (UK). We try to be as diverse as possible, and Turkey is a close neighbour, a bridge between Europe and Asia.
Culturally, what do you feel Qatar and Turkey have in common? Also, what things can the two countries exchange with each other?
Both Qatari and Turkish cultures have a rich past and a vibrant present with respect to artistic, athletic and intellectual activities. So, there is a lot to be gained on both sides through meaningful exchange. Our job is simply to create an environment where these interactions can occur, cultivating mutual recognition, understanding, and appreciation of Qatari and Turkish cultures through events that entertain and educate. We’d like to think that we aim at providing people in both nations access to a more complete picture they might not see otherwise. Like Turkey or any nation, Qatar is multi-faceted, having taken historic leaps in education and research while fostering a serious and rapidly growing arts scene.
While the nation is wisely and purposefully diversifying into a knowledge economy, the rich intellectual, artistic and musical talents on display in the Year of Culture have been present in Qatar and the region for centuries, and this is what we want to showcase, too. Moreover, it is exciting that this is the first Muslim country that has partnered with Qatar for a Year of Culture. Turkey is also, geographically, the closest country to Qatar that we have organised a cultural partnership with. We hope to strengthen the affinities between our cultures but also explore and celebrate the differences.
Be it the translated Turkish soap operas on TV, Turkish cuisine, travelling to Turkey, or buying a lot of property there; Arabs seem to love a lot about Turkey. Why so, do you feel?
I think we share a lot in common as societies, likely due to having a shared religion and thus culture and traditions. There is a long history of Turkish-Arab trade, and of Turkish engagement with Qatar and the Gulf. I believe this contributes to a sense of shared experience. We also have a vibrant Turkish community here, seen most clearly at Doha’s wonderful Turkish restaurants.
From your experience of handling the Qatar UK Year of Culture, what have you gathered which you can apply for this year?
Each year brings its own highlights and challenges but one aspect that is always important is developing personal links as well as institutional ones. There is a real legacy of friendship and community with the previous countries we have worked with.
How challenging has it been to put such a wide range of events together? Could you share an anecdote from all the behind-the-scenes work?
Developing a programme that reflects the diverse cultures of two countries while also appealing to a wide audience is always challenging but also incredibly rewarding. We carefully plan each year in partnership with our official partners. This year, the Qatari Ministry of Culture and the Turkish Ministry of Culture will be really helping us in spotting the best cultural activities to be organised here or in Turkey.
We come up with loads of potential activities. After that, it’s a matter of doing our best to have this idea take shape and make it come alive. Some are easy to set up while others have their peculiar challenges. For instance, we strive at doing our best to welcome our guests into the best conditions and offer them the venue they deserve, like for the Huna Hunak exhibition (as part of Qatar Brazil Year of Culture 2014, Huna Hunak, or in English, Here There, charts artists’ perspectives on the changing social, environmental and cultural norms in Qatar and Brazil; it opened at Al Riwaq in December and will continue till March 30).
On the other side, our hosts do the same for an event like Pearls (Qatar Museums’ globe-trotting exhibition), which will allow as many people as possible to come and view it in the most exquisite venue possible.
Personally, of all the events, which one are you most excited about, and why?
I’m most excited about Pearls, which after travelling everywhere from Japan to the UK, will now visit Turkey. It’s a personal favourite because I am very passionate about pearls and pearl diving as a great part of our history. This exhibition is not only beautiful but also a great educational tool as it was the core of Qatari economy in the past century.
PERSPECTIVE: Aisha al-Attiya at the opening reception of the Qatar Turkey Year of Culture.
