Qatar Museums (QM) opened the third edition of its “Artist in Residence” programme yesterday, featuring the works of 18 artists at the Fire Station’s Garage gallery in Doha.
The exhibition, titled Dual Inspirations and held under the patronage of QM Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, will be open to the public from today until October 1.
The participating artists are Mubarak Nasser al-Thani, May Saleh al-Mannai, Fatima Mohamed, Alexandra Jawe Oddie, Yasser Abdulla al-Mulla, Islam Shehab, Ryan Browning, Fatma al-Naimi, Wajiha Pervez, Yousef Fawzi Bahzad, Diogo Esteves, Aisha al-Fadhala, Paul Valentine, Aisha al-Malki, Yassmin al-Khasawneh, Rachel Leah Cohn, Shouq al-Mana, and Ahmad Nooh Ahmad.
“The exhibition explores the ideas that revolve around inspiration as a platform, through which 18 artists experiment in relation to the creative process,” said curator Dr Bahaa Abudaya, who is also the curator of Contemporary Art at the Fire Station.
“Active discussion and interaction between artists and curator helped raise issues pertinent to the identity of contemporary art production and the essence of a truly contemporary artwork,” he said.
According to Abudaya, this year’s edition is presented as a conversation between two artists sharing their perspectives on the same topic.
The exhibition’s main narrative falls on “reflection and inspiration” where two artists are matched in one section under a specific theme, which describes their work: self, memory, constructivism, material, contemplation, abstractionism, city, result, perception, and viewpoint.
The exhibition marks the end of a successful season of the Artist in Residence programme – an annual initiative that nurtures creative talent from across the country.
“This exhibition is not only a testament to the world-class artistic talent that exists among Qatar’s creative community, but is also a proof of the impact that the programme has had in terms of nurturing our artists’ skills,” Fire Station director Khalifa al-Obaidly said in a statement. “I am proud to announce the conclusion of another exciting edition and look forward to being amazed by our artists’ future endeavours.”
Dual Inspirations also features a special section dubbed “Contemporary Artists Reading Modernism Loudly”, tackling the inspiring relationship between contemporary and modern art.
Organisers said that the participants have been tasked with visiting Mathaf and choosing an artwork that inspires and informs their own practice.
The selected artwork is presented alongside their own to emphasise a dialogue that has taken place between two epochs and generations of artists.
Some of the artists’ ideas were an extension and an answer to works by those pioneers, while others were chosen to question or provide a contrast to the works presented at Mathaf.
The participating artists are Mubarak Nasser al-Thani, May Saleh al-Mannai, Fatima Mohamed, Yousef Fawzi Bahzad, Paul Valentine, Ryan Browning, and Diogo Esteves.
The Artist in Residency programme provides participants with an opportunity to delve into the world of aestheticism and be exposed to influential mentors that can help them challenge and develop their artistic skills.
The programme is a highlight of the QM’s initiatives, all which aim to create a new generation of talents that can inspire audiences and drive forward Qatar’s cultural sector.
According to the QM, artists who are resident in Qatar move into one of the studios, collaborate with fellow creatives and develop their artistic technique during the nine-month programme.
Artists meet curators, access all QM exhibitions and are encouraged to join lectures.
They also benefit from weekly mentoring sessions and meet arts professionals from all over the world, representing Qatar in the international cultural community.
This picture supplied by Qatar Museums (QM) shows QM officials and other dignitaries discussing one of the works at the exhibition following its opening.
