Qatar Museums honoured the platinum sponsors of the Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture - Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) and Qatar Shell - during a VIP private gala dinner held recently at the Museum of Islamic Art featuring Brazilian-inspired cuisine and entertainment.
The event was attended by HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari and Qatar Museums chairperson HE Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The Years of Culture is an annual initiative by Qatar Museums and co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, aiming to forge new partnerships between Qatar and the world through cultural exchange in the areas of community, culture and sport.
As platinum sponsors of Qatar Brazil 2014, QPI and Qatar Shell have provided long-term support to Qatar Museums and the ministry in presenting cultural programming that brings the people of Qatar and Brazil together to create mutual understanding that will last generations.
Nasser al-Jaidah, CEO of QPI, said: “Qatar Petroleum International is proud to be sponsoring the Qatar Brazil Year of Culture, an important initiative that aims to expand knowledge, develop creative leaders and drive progress in support of Qatar National Vision 2030. Following QPI’s investment in Brazil’s oil-producing project, BC-10, the Years of Culture initiative provided us with the opportunity to demonstrate our strong commitment to building global partnerships and creating a positive impact in the international communities where we operate.”
Wael Sawan, managing director and chairman of Qatar Shell Companies, said: “Qatar Shell, in partnership with Qatar Petroleum International, is honoured to be the platinum sponsor of the Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture, which brings us and other key organisations in Qatar together to celebrate the richness of Qatari and Brazilian cultures and to appreciate their distinctive contributions to the world.”
Guests at the event had the opportunity to explore the BC-10 exhibition, showcasing the strategic partnership with QPI and Shell. Under an agreement, QPI has acquired ownership in an oil production project called Parque das Conchas (BC-10), located in offshore Brazil. QPI shipped the first internationally acquired oil cargo for Qatar from the BC-10 project earlier this month.
The Qatar Brazil 2014 events to date have been highly successful, according to a statement.
Early in the year, Qatar Brazil 2014 and the National Museum of Qatar hosted Kheit, an international fashion design competition, for students from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and the Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo in Brazil.
Brazil was also well-represented during the Qatar International Food Festival in March at the MIA park. The Qatar Brazil zone attracted thousands of visitors to take part in Brazilian dance, music and food over the course of the three-day festival.
During each month this year, Doha Film Institute and Qatar Museums have screened Brazilian movies as part of the Brazil Cinema Showcase.
In June, the photography exhibition Qatar Brazil: A Journey from the Amazon to the Desert opened at Katara, featuring the works of two Qatari photographers from the Qatar Photographic Society as they journeyed across Brazil with Qatar Museums, as well as works from two Brazilian photographers’ exchange trip across Qatar.
In July, Qatar Museums’ exhibition Pearls opened to great acclaim at the renowned Museu de Arte Brasileira (Brazilian Museum of Art) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Qatar Museums and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage also hosted Qatar Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where numerous Qatari artisans travelled to showcase Qatari cultural traditions, including music, coffee, henna and ardha.
Qatar Museums and Qatar Fine Arts Association has collaborated with Brazilian artist and curator Luiz Dolino to host a contemporary art exhibition with works by Qatari and Brazilian artists.
Then, on October 30, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra performed a concert featuring Brazilian conductor Claudio Cohen as part of the Year of Culture.
Finally, Qatar had the opportunity to experience the tastes, sounds and excitement of Brazil during the Brazil Festival at MIA Park from November 6 to 8.
