The Salam International in collaboration with an artist couple from Ukraine has set up an art gallery at The Gate Mall where they will showcase different art works exhibiting solidaarity with the country on Qatar National Day.
The artist couple, Andrii and Nadiia Chernovil, has got significant fame from their art project ‘QTargets’. Andrii is a painter and his wife an interior designer. They have been living in Qatar since 2014 and have been previously associated with Katara to exhibit their artworks as well. The duo is now inviting people to create artworks of their own. They eventually hope to turn the collaborative effort into a message of peace for the rest of the world. The project named ‘QTargets’ is being curated by Nadiia, who is also responsible for all the related planning and activities.
The project has seen its first successful stint. The artists invite people to show their artistic skills on a target paper. Andrii has been using target papers that are used for pistol shooting competitions to create his paintings for a long time. The Salam-Chernovil Gallery also features Andrii Chernovil’s works, a unique collection of work that unites art pieces of different techniques, styles, themes and even different presentation tools.
The collaborative project will continue till December 18.
Talking about the project in detail, Nadiia, told Community, “Everything here is like a piece of art. There have been many art exhibitions here showcasing works of different artists. We want to support Qatar through our creative ideas. We have been trying to spread the idea of peace of through QTargets. We have been inviting people to share their creative ideas of peace and support for the country for the upcoming exhibition. We have been having different school and community tours to invite artists of all levels to participate in this exhibition.”
She added, “The exhibition is an opportunity for the artists to show their love and respect for the country through their unique ideas. The participating artists will also be able to put their fingerprints on target papers through QTargets. Their ideas and messages will be saved forever. QTargets is a movement for peace and love, where people from different backgrounds send their positive messages through art as a common language. Our final target is 2022 showing Qatar as a peaceful country.”
The artist further said, “We will place best artworks on target papers for the national day exhibition. We are collecting the artworks till November 23. The response has so far been wonderful.”
On being asked why Andrii and Nadiia have chosen target paper as a canvas, Andrii says, “It is symbolic. The paper is used as target in pistol shooting competitions. First, we wanted to show a positive side of the target paper. We know a lot of shooters. My father has been a shooting sport coach. They are very calm, peaceful and focused people. They focus on their target. Secondly, we think the target paper can be used as a symbol of a bigger goal in life. A person using the target paper can share a message of peace in an art form. The target for shooting can thus be used as a messenger for peace. We have selected peace for the message because everyone in the world wants to be happy and peace is essential for happiness.”
Neville R. Koen, Head of Properties for Salam, said, “Our intention to have the exhibition is to show our support for Qatar on its national day. As our social corporate responsibility, we organise different community and art programmes.”
He added, “When we first met these artists, we were very excited about doing something with them and contributing towards Qatar National Day. Since Qatar has dealt very well with the blockade, we thought it would be a good idea to give the artists a platform where they can share whatever they have been doing. A lot of prominent people have signed in.”
MOVEMENT FOR PEACE: QTargets is a movement for peace and love, where people from different backgrounds send their positive messages through art as a common language. Photos by Jayan Ormaa
