Ben Barbour to record highlights of Doha-Wales journey in book

Ben Barbour, the Msheireb resident artist, will leave for Wales on an LNG-powered vessel tomorrow as part of Qatar-UK 2013 Year of Culture. Excited about the 20-day voyage, Barbour said he would compile a book documenting all the sketches and annals of the landmark voyage.Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of a press conference held to announce the voyage, Barbour said he would focus on drawing parallels between Qatar and the UK and the historic changes that had taken place over the past few centuries in both countries. “There are many similarities between Doha and Milford Haven in Wales. The port at Milford Haven was set up in 1750 and, at the same time, Doha was emerging on the scenario. Doha was dependent on pearling and fishing and later turned to natural gas and petrochemical resources. Similarly, in Wales, fishing collapsed in 1950 and coal, oil and LNG emerged as major resources,” he explained.Barbour said he would follow ancient trade routes and regularly post updates online. “I will also focus on the community of individuals onboard the tanker, collecting and retelling the personal stories of the crew as well as organising workshops for them. I have bought more than 40 pencils and stocked enough paper for the activities. I have also bought a GPS tracker to identify the exact location,” he added.The artist said all the documents would be compiled in a book, which would go on sale at a later stage. “We are working to produce a book that will document the records of the voyage and other experiences. We will also produce miniature editions of some of the drawings,” he added. Starting from Doha, Barbour will head to the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Suez Canal and ultimately to South Hook, Wales. He said he was slightly worried about pirates but at the same time excited about the amazing opportunity.Barbour’s acclaimed work New City documented Msheireb - the earliest suburb of Doha - through sketches as the area underwent extensive regeneration.