Katara – Cultural Village Foundation continues its activities associated with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with Katara general manager HE Prof Khaled bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti inaugurating a number of exhibitions.
The “Faces of the World” exhibition is being held in co-operation with the Dominican embassy, while the “Batik Heritage” exhibition is being hosted in co-operation with the embassy of Indonesia.
Another attraction, the Katara Traditional Dhows Museum, includes models of ships used by ancestors in Qatar and the Gulf region for their fishing trips, pearl diving, transport of goods, trade and travel, in addition to diving tools, boats and various means used by boatmen and sailors in the past, as well as boating and diving tools used by sailors on trips.
The museum is also a valuable opportunity for the public to see the ancient means and equipment used by deep sea divers to extract oysters and pearls, in addition to discovering diving activities such as rowing, raising the traditional sail, splitting oysters, and knowing the types of pearls, a press statement notes.
On the occasion, HE Prof al-Sulaiti said: “We are pleased to open these important and beautiful exhibitions as part of Katara’s festive programme related to our country’s hosting of the World Cup.”
“We have co-operated with more than 22 embassies accredited to the country besides a number of friendly countries to enhance opportunities for dialogue between cultures and peoples,” he said. “These distinguished exhibitions are evidence of the high level of cultural partnership between Katara and these embassies, which enhances the horizons of continuous cultural co-operation, whether during or after the World Cup.”
Dominican Republic’s ambassador to Qatar George Hazim praised Katara’s efforts and its great co-operation in holding cultural events that introduce people to each other.
Indonesia’s ambassador to Qatar Radwan Hassan said: "This is a great opportunity for the public to learn about the heritage of Indonesia, and we extend our thanks to Katara – the Cultural Village for this opportunity, and wish Qatar more success for this dazzling FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."
The exhibition – “Faces of the World” – by Jerson Jimenez in Building 47, Hall 2, includes 25 paintings of the most important football players of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, about which the artist said: "This is my second participation at Katara, and I am pleased to present this exhibition on this major global occasion; I chose faces to say something through them.”
“The psychological expressions and feelings that I see on the players' faces during matches leave a deep impression on spectators,” he said.
The “Batik Heritage” exhibition includes artwork and textiles that vary in ideas, including a work where the idea deals with FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar by collecting Qatari cultural identity and football symbols.
A work titled *Mountain of Shadow Puppets symbolises human life and its various stages, and life in an Indonesian village, while other works highlight different ideas.
The “World Wonders Balloon Tour Show” was launched on Thursday continues on December 2 and 3 with two performances a day – the first at 5pm and the second at 7pm, at Al-Hikma Square.
The “Katara Fashion Show”, which began yesterday, will continue to present Qatari fashion in a modern spirit.
The second night of the event today will present a show titled *Al-Qamra, inspired by the Bedouin environment and focusing on the Bedouin desert patterns by women designers Noura al-Hajri, Haya al-Nuaimi and Loulan al-Jassem from Qatar, and Rasha al-Shehri and Bayan al-Majjaji from Saudi Arabia.
