Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara the Cultural Village Foundation, yesterday inaugurated an exhibition celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Smurfs, organised by Katara in co-operation with the Belgian embassy in Qatar.Belgian ambassador William Asselborn attended the inauguration ceremony alongside a number of other ambassadors, diplomats and interested individuals.The exhibition is being held in Katara Building 47, Hall 1, until May 17. It is open from 10am to 10pm.The Smurfs is a famous Belgian comic franchise centred on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. The franchise began as a comic and expanded into advertising, films, TV series, ice capades, video games, theme parks and toys.There are more than 100 Smurf characters, and their names are based on adjectives that emphasise their characteristics.Addressing the ceremony, ambassador Asselborn expressed happiness at the holding of the exhibition, which gives people the opportunity to learn more about the Smurfs.He said, "While the Smurfs has a global character and is famous around the world, it originated in Belgium and many people may not know that these characters are a product of the rich Belgian cartoon traditions. If you travel to Belgium, you will find many places related to the Smurfs, such as a Smurf-shaped mushroom statue in the centre of Brussels and the Smurf museum. Our new Belgian passports also contain illustrations of Belgian cartoon characters, including the Smurfs."The envoy thanked Katara for its ongoing efforts to open up to different cultures, highlight them and provide opportunities to organise such exhibitions.The exhibition showcases original artwork that illustrates the evolution of the Smurfs, from its illustrated origins to its success in films, TV programmes, video games and other media. It features illustrative panels about the Smurfs' history, dating back the creation of the characters in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford (Peyo).The Smurfs first appeared as supporting characters in his medieval-themed comic book series 'Johan and Peewit' in the Belgian comic magazine 'Spirou'.Since its creation, the Smurfs franchise has conquered the world, with 40 music albums sold in over 70 countries, five movies, and almost 300 episodes of an animated series available in 40 languages on the official Smurfs YouTube channel.
May 03, 2023 | 10:04 PM