The Power of Culture
An exploration of how culture connects people, ideas and place, marking two decades of Qatar Museums.
Q+A is an exploration of the power of culture. Across art, design, fashion and heritage, the stories in these pages consider how creative practice connects people and ideas. This issue marks an important milestone: two decades of Qatar Museums. When the institution was founded in 2005, it was with the conviction that culture is woven into every aspect of life. That spirit is reflected in this issue’s cover by Aisha Al Sowaidi, director of Liwan Design Studios and Labs. Infused with her fragrance Soul Shelter, the work draws on landscape, memory and belonging to create a multi-sensory meditation on place.
In this issue, we look to the Venice Biennale, one of the most influential events in contemporary art, where Qatar continues to expand its contribution to the current cultural dialogue. Looking ahead, that presence will soon become permanent with the inauguration of a new national pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh Architecture. The Qatar Pavilion will be only the third new national pavilion to be added to the Giardini in more than 50 years, offering a lasting platform for voices from Qatar and the wider Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region on the global stage. As we anticipate this exciting development, Qatar will showcase a major new commission by Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija in collaboration with Sophia Al-Maria, Tarek Atoui, Alia Farid and Fadi Kattan at the 61st edition, which opens on 9 May.
We also turn our attention to Liwan Design Studios and Labs, the creative campus housed in a restored mid-20th-century girls’ school at the heart of Doha, which has grown into a thriving creative ecosystem that is shaping Qatar’s design culture.
Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) is another force that nurtures and promotes creative talent across the Arab world. In this issue, we shine a light on the FTA Prize. Now in its eighth edition, the FTA Prize has become a platform for designers whose work is deeply rooted in the traditions and cultural identity of the region, while speaking to a global audience. In our fashion editorial, photographed by Mous Lamrabat in Doha, we showcase pieces from the latest generation of winners.
Elsewhere, we celebrate Qatar’s ambitious public art programme, which has brought works by artists including Olafur Eliasson, Richard Serra and César Baldaccini into the public realm. We also look at the creative energy shaping everyday life in Qatar, from Chef Noof Al Marri's contemporary expression of Qatari cuisine to the new M. F. Husain Museum and the evolving cultural fabric of Msheireb Downtown Doha, where heritage and modern architecture meet in new ways.
Together, the stories in these pages explore how culture is carried through art, design, fashion, food and the spaces we inhabit. We hope you enjoy reading this issue.
