Qatar citizens and residents – especially Culture Pass members – will have the opportunity to explore a number of ongoing art exhibitions, guided tours, and other activities organised by Qatar Museums (QM) this weekend.
At the Doha Fire Station, an exhibition titled Virgil Abloh: ‘Figures of Speech’ showcases more than 55 works, highlighting what was described as the late American artist’s “diverse pioneering media practice”, ranging from “visual arts to music, fashion, architecture and design”.
The show, presented as part of the 2021 Qatar – United States Year of Culture, is curated by Michael Darling in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and Samir Bantal from AMO/OMA, and will be on view until March 31.
“To pay tribute to Virgil Abloh’s art and legacy, the QM dropped a ‘Virgil Was Here’ banner at the Fire Station building. Members of the community can pay their personal tributes to the remarkable artist on a dedicated signing wall at the Fire Station's plaza,” the QM posted on its social media pages recently.
Msheireb Downtown Doha’s M7 puts a spotlight on Christian Dior rare collections that have never been showcased before, “including ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser”.
The exhibition, titled *Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams and curated by Olivier Gabet and designed by Nathalie Crinière especially for Qatar, marks almost 75 years of creative passion, “punctuated by captivating haute couture dresses and works from the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris”. It will run until March 31.
The QM noted that “Christian Dior's inspiration comes from places he didn't necessarily visit: since the East and the Far East, India, Africa, South America, were actually a major reference in his options for the decoration”.
A collection of Iraqi objects, for example, “illustrates the vision of the inclusive walls of fashion, as well as the painting of the basic Dior colours”.
“Pink includes ‘the colour of happiness and femininity’, and ‘dior red’, the colour that best symbolises the ‘travalgar effects’, and the colour that ‘exposes women’s smiles,” the QM said. “As for blacks, he considered him the most stylish colours and said he could write a full column about him.”
The 2021 Qatar – United States Year of Culture exhibition also highlights the works of renowned American contemporary artist Jeff Koons, featuring more than 60 works – displayed in 16 galleries at QM Gallery Al Riwaq – drawn from his 40-year career.
Koons’s first show in the Gulf region, dubbed *Jeff Koons: Lost in America, which will also on view until March 31, offers a deep understanding into the artist’s outstanding career and works.
According to the QM, this one-of-its-kind exhibition “presents a portrait of American culture as seen through Koons’s autobiography, beginning with his childhood in suburban Pennsylvania ... each artwork highlights his memories, influences and fascination with American visual culture”.
“Conceived as an expansive self-portrait, *Lost in America includes sculptures and paintings with mesmerising, mirrored surfaces that reflect the viewers and call attention to notions of self-transformation and becoming,” the QM said.
Other QM exhibitions include *Kadder Attia: On Silence (on view until March 31 at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art), and *Mohamad Hafez: What is Home to You? (until tomorrow, February 19, at The Gallery, and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar).
An online lecture on “bridging the human and natural worlds” by media artist, filmmaker and educator Jonah King will take place on February 21 at 7pm, while a workshop on the “creation of digital avatars in augmented reality and motion capture” would be on February 22 at 5pm.
 
 
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