Qatar Museums holds innovative workshops

Qatar Museums (QM) has teamed up with Volkswagen Group, the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and the German embassy in Doha, to launch a series of innovative and inspiring workshops featuring some of the biggest names in design.
The initiative forms part of an ongoing commitment to bring one of the highlights of QM’s 2017 exhibition programme to the local community.
The series, initiated by Volkswagen Group, supports the Driven By German Design exhibition that opened at QM Gallery Al Riwaq last month.
“The response to Driven By German Design has been phenomenal and highlights the widespread enthusiasm in Qatar for innovative design and the influence of some of the industry’s leading proponents – from the historic past to the present day,” QM’s chief strategic planning officer Khalid al-Ibrahim said.
Focusing on theory and practice, it brings together world-leaders in automotive and industrial design to inspire Qatar’s young creatives, students and enthusiasts.
The first event takes place today (November 15) at 5.30pm at Al Riwaq and will explore the future of automotive design.
Over the course of an hour-long lecture, Peter Wouda, head of Volkswagen Group’s Future Centre, will address the evolution of German automotive design – from its beginnings through to today’s developments, and look ahead to the future.
In a broad ranging discussion, he will also explore the future of mobility including self-driving vehicles, and provide insights into the current work of his team at the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam.
The second event takes place on November 20 at Al Riwaq and features renowned industrial designer Stefan Diez who has held a Professorship at Hochschule Kassel since October 2017.
In his lecture, Stefan Diez will give insights into the design process, share his experience working with different materials and outline the importance of building prototypes.
He will also explain the impact of digitalisation on his work as a designer, exploring the challenges but also the opportunities this creates.
Diez is also inviting members of the community to join him for a guided tour through the
exhibition after his lecture.
An event by Dr Mateo Kries, director of Vitra Design Museum, will take place on November 27 at Al Riwaq. He will speak about his curatorial practice and collecting design objects.