The first-ever Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti exhibition in the Middle East opened yesterday at the Fire Station’s Garage Gallery in Doha.
More than more 120 works by Picasso (1881-1973) and Giacometti (1901-1966), two of the most important artists of the 20th century, are featured at the exhibition, which will run until May 21, 2017. Entry is free.
The artists’ works, drawn from the notable collections of the Musée national Picasso-Paris and the Fondation Giacometti in Paris, as well as exceptional loans from French and other international collections, include paintings, sculptures, sketches, photographs and interviews with the artists.
Organised into six sections, the exhibition highlights key works by each artist such as the Self Portrait (1901), Woman Throwing a Stone (1931) and The She Goat (1950) by Picasso, and Flower in Danger (1932),Tall Woman (1960) and Walking Man (1960) by Giacometti, presented alongside rare and fragile casts, some newly discovered drawings and photographic archives.
The exhibition evokes different aspects of each artist’s production, including the development of their work as young artists through to their modernist creations. It also shows the correspondences between their works, the influence of the surrealist movement, and the return to realism during the post-war period.
The exhibition, curated by Fondation Giacometti director Catherine Grenier, portrays for the first time the previously unknown relationship between the two artists.
Despite an age gap of 20 years, she said Picasso and Giacometti shared many key moments during their distinguished careers, both on a personal and professional level.
“We are particularly pleased to share this discovery with the Qatar audience. Thanks to an exceptional gathering of masterpieces, the audience will benefit from a large presentation of unique artworks from these two giants of Modern Art,” Grenier noted.
“They will be introduced to the specific context of emulation and artistic exchanges which characterised this particularly fertile time for arts,” she added.
Khalifa al-Obaidly, director of Qatar Museums’ (QM) Fire Station Artist in Residence Programme, echoed the director’s statement saying the blockbuster show is exceptional, and by bringing such internationally significant artists to Qatar, “QM hopes to spark creativity for a young and creative generation, and help build an exciting future for Qatar and enrich the lives of all those who live in and visit our country.”
The Fire Station, he added, is a place where its artists in residence meet, “just as Picasso and Giacometti encountered each other and shared a dialogue and many similarities despite their age difference.”
‘Picasso and Giacometti’ reflects two years of research done by the Fondation Giacometti and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and curated by Grenier, with associate curators, Serena Bucalo-Mussely and Virginie Perdrisot.
Grenier and the Musée national Picasso-Paris director Laurent Le Bon will discuss the exhibition, its concept, development and curation at a public roundtable event today from 6pm to 8pm at the Fire Station.
In addition, the exhibition will also feature a series of engaging, fun and interactive educational activities for school children, teachers and families.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 11am to 8pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 2pm to 9pm every Friday. It will be closed during Mondays.