Traditions
The codes of Muslim representation can be found in all areas of design. One of the most decisive rules is the absence of figurative motifs. The human figure is replaced by ornamental, geometric and vegetal motifs. Here, writing is elevated to an art form. The tradition of calligraphy continues to be handed down today. In fact, it's the same word that designates writing and calligraphy, or the art of beautiful lettering. The letter, which requires talent and skill to master, enables the verses of the Koran to be recalled on all possible media.
The book, which brings together a range of skills, is thus a collaborative work produced in workshops. Illuminators, miniaturists and calligraphers combine their talents. Illuminators illustrate manuscripts by painting motifs in gouache, preferably in gold and silver tones. For literary and scientific works, however, animals and characters are permitted. The first illustrated books were scientific works.
The miniaturist, who was also a painter, reproduced a two-dimensional world without reference to reality. The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is home to an eclectic private collection of objects from Qatar and around the world.
Modern turnaround
These traditions are still alive and well in Qatar. But at the same time, from the 1950s onwards, an aesthetic trend began to integrate these traditions with modern trends. This trend took different forms in the Arab world, including calligraffiti, abstract calligraphy and geometric calligraphy.
One of the pioneers of the hurufiyya movement, which combines tradition and modernity, Iraqi artist Dia al-Azzawi, was born in Baghdad in 1939. In Doha, he drew inspiration from the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art to design an astonishing merry-go-round at the entrance. The animal-like seats in his installation Enchanted East recall the bestiary of Arab culture. The two leading Qatari representatives of the Hurufiyya movement are Yousef Ahmad and Ali Hassan Jaber.
Painter and collector Yousef Ahmad (b. 1955) represents his country at most international biennials and cultural events. In his youth, he benefited from one of the first exchange programs offered by Qatar, which enabled him to study in California. His realist-inspired work documents the habits and customs of his country, reinterpreting calligraphy and Arab textile art. Now a lecturer at Qatar University, he advises collector Sheikh Hassan on his acquisitions for the Mataf Museum, or Arab Museum of Modern Art. This institution mainly features paintings from the Maghreb, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as a few artists from the Gulf.
Today, the former fire station has been transformed into an artistic residence and exhibition space. The Orientalist Museum, which is more a collection than a museum, contains hundreds of treasures.
Public art as a standard
Katara Village, the "valley of cultures", encourages local creativity. Traditional symbols and provocative creations coexist in the open air. Among the most spectacular is the sculpture of Gandhi's three monkeys by Indian artist Subodh Gupta, which stands on the seafront promenade. All over the city, big-name international artists are contributing to the artistic profusion.
At Hamad International Airport, Urs Fischer's Lamp Bear features a giant teddy bear. Inspired by travel, French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel's Cosmos installation makes your head spin. In the arrival hall, Tom Claasen's 8 oryx herd wanders through the gallery. At the exit, Desert Horse by Qatari Ali Hassan Al-Jaber reminds us of the importance of horses in Bedouin daily life.
In the city of Doha, the Jedariart program brought together a number of muralists in a variety of genres. Traditional calligraphy is complemented by abstract, figurative and surrealist art to evoke national specificities. To be seen at Al-Abraj Park, Post Office Park, 5/6 Park and the Doha Festival City interchange.
To the north of the city, American artist Richard Serra's famous East-West/West-East installation stretches for a kilometer across the desert. Four immense steel plates erected away from civilization invite reflection. By the same artist, we return to the city to admire the vertiginous 7 sculpture in the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, a museum that brings together art from the 7th to the 19th centuries. Here, Richard Serra recalls the value of the number 7 in Islamic culture: the 7 heavens, the 7 gates of paradise, the 7 hells..
The gigantic Maman spider by Louise Bourgeois is even more audacious, planting its legs in the Qatar National Convention center (Qatar National Library metro station). Not far away, in front of the Sidra research center, Damien Hirst's 14 bronze fetuses tell the story of The Miraculous Journey, the development of a tiny human being in the womb. The famous Iraqi sculptor Ahmed El Bahrani, exiled in Doha, designed the hands stretched skywards; The Challenge 2015 is located at the Lusail metro station.
Current trend
The political crisis inspires Qatari artists. The anniversaries of the siege are celebrated under the banner of resilience. TheAl Markhiya Gallery invited Qatari artist Fatma Alshebani to exhibit her installation The Mother, a nod to the motherland. Blue-chip artists flock to Doha from the West. Neo-Pop Jeff Koons was welcomed by the Qatar Museums Gallery - Al Riwaq. New York graffiti icon Kaws showed his giant toys in the courtyard of the Fire Station, as well as at Doha airport.
The recent Qatar National Museum, designed by Jean Nouvel, is the crowning glory of the city's current dynamism. The main theme is the essence and history of the country. Unsurprisingly, a monumental installation echoes the site. Jean-Michel Othoniel's 114 fountain-sculptures lining the corniche catch the eye. Their silhouettes dance with their feet in the water, like so many allusions to calligraphy.
Qatari artists are now winning over Western collectors. The young Ahmed Al Maadheed sets the tone, making a career in Qatar while responding to a multitude of commissions in Europe. Follow the movement!
