* 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era' held as part of Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture
Qatar Museums has concluded 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era', an immersive digital art exhibition exploring Qatar’s rich history of pearling through the lens of young Qatari artists working today.
The exhibition, which was on view at the contemporary art space in New York, Lavan541, from December 14 to 19, was curated by Qatar Museums’ curator of Contemporary Art, Dr Bahaa Abudaya, as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture, an annual international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.
Through new work of five Qatari artists, 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era' transported visitors on a journey back in time when Qatar was one of the largest pearl producers in the world. The audience had the opportunity to explore the significant role natural pearls played in shaping the economic history of the region as well as the nation’s culture and traditions.
The artists - Mohamed Faraj al-Suwaidi, Maryam al-Homaid, Alanoud al-Buainain, May Almannai and Saida Alkhulaif - are alumni of Qatar Museums’ Fire Station, a contemporary art space committed to supporting artists through its Artist in Residence programme, as well as engaging the local communities through events, exhibitions, and public art.
“We are thrilled to have brought the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme to a close with the innovative exhibition, 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era',” said Aisha al-Attiya, director of the Cultural Diplomacy Department, Qatar Museums. “By celebrating such a pivotal time in Qatar’s development through digital installations crafted by local artists, we can share this important part of our heritage with others in the United States. Telling these stories in such a captivating way allows visitors to learn more about Qatar, and its incredible history, in a new and immersive way.”
“As the curator of our artist-in-residency programme at The Fire Station, I have the great pleasure of working with young and emerging Qatari artists as they discover their own voices through art and contribute to our burgeoning cultural landscape,” said Dr Abudaya. “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to share these artist’s work outside of Doha and bring a piece of our culture to the United States through an exhibition highlighting an important part of our nation’s history: our pearling industry.”
"As we conclude the 2021 Year of Culture, the exchange between our two countries has been a reflection of brilliant artistry and has deepened our understanding of one another as we celebrated and revelled in the distinct artistic and cultural character of each nation," said Fatema al-Baker, director of Public Diplomacy at the embassy of Qatar. "The history of Qatari pearls spans thousands of years, and they are praised all over the world for their exquisite beauty and quality. ‘Pearls of Wonder’ illuminated a rich tradition of pearl diving in new and visually stunning ways, and we are proud to have shared our history with the world while showcasing the remarkable talents of these five Qatari artists."
The artists and works include the following:
* 'Bubbles & Pearls' by Mohamed Faraj al-Suwaidi: 'Bubbles & Pearl's explores how pearling has evolved over time and the risk and physically taxing nature of the profession.
Through virtual reality, viewers were submerged underwater, surrounded by pearls and bubbles of all shapes and sizes. Users were able to pop the bubbles around them, providing either oxygen, allowing them to continue the experience, or petroleum oil, which marked the end of the journey and represented the end of the pearling era and the new beginning of Qatar’s development. Al-Suwaidi is an architect currently pursuing his PhD in Digital Architecture. Over time, his artwork has evolved from mechanical sculptures to digital platforms.
* 'Singing Narratives within the Deep Sea', by Maryam al-Homaid: This projection-based installation used coding to bring archival photographs from the pearl diving era back to life. Inspired by the poem, 'The Remains of a Diving Ship', written by Mubarak bin Saif al-Thani, al-Homaid projected rediscovered images featuring moving effects that represent the waves of the sea.
The sequence celebrated the memories that remain singing within the ocean. Al-Homaid is an interdisciplinary designer who mixes technology-based mediums with the DIY culture to bridge the gap between high-tech mediums that exist today and the lost crafts that once existed in the Arabian Gulf.
* 'Vestige (Recollections)' by Alanoud al-Buainain: Through re-recorded archival footage, montages with animations and video created and filed by al-Buainain, viewers experienced the elements that continue beyond the surface of pearls and into the inner shell of the oyster, sea and dhows.
Viewers were surrounded by the sounds of the sea and pearl diving, brought together by rhythms that appear in songs performed by pearl divers on their journeys. Al-Buainain is a multidisciplinary artist working with drawing, photography, video, and installation. Her current work explores how people interact with the environment.
* 'A Journey to the Past' by May Almannai: Almannai created an animated window into the nineteenth century that visually showcases the pearl diver’s journey, from the ceremonial beach takeoff to the 'The Big Dive', which was when weather was clear, calm, and ideal for diving. Almannai is a self-taught visual artist and illustrator who works primarily with mixed media, a combination of digital and traditional painting, and handcrafted watercolours.
* 'Pearls of Rain' by Saida Alkhulaifi: Inspired by the old myth that pearls are created when oysters swallow raindrops, 'Pearls of Rain' imagined a foggy dream and nostalgic memory of the artist’s great grandparents. Through video, sound, photography, and archival footage, viewers experienced the overwhelming feelings and emotions evoked by pearl diving.
Alkhulaifi is a visual artist who explores themes of identity, societal norms and time, through a mix of analogue photography, experimental developing and printing, video, text and embroidery.
'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era' is just one of the many programmes that has been presented in the United States and Qatar this year. The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme debuted a series of in-person and virtual events, including exhibitions and installations of works by Qatari and American artists; events showcasing the music, film and fashion of both countries; culinary experiences and more.
The exhibition, which was on view at the contemporary art space in New York, Lavan541, from December 14 to 19, was curated by Qatar Museums’ curator of Contemporary Art, Dr Bahaa Abudaya, as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture, an annual international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.
Through new work of five Qatari artists, 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era' transported visitors on a journey back in time when Qatar was one of the largest pearl producers in the world. The audience had the opportunity to explore the significant role natural pearls played in shaping the economic history of the region as well as the nation’s culture and traditions.
The artists - Mohamed Faraj al-Suwaidi, Maryam al-Homaid, Alanoud al-Buainain, May Almannai and Saida Alkhulaif - are alumni of Qatar Museums’ Fire Station, a contemporary art space committed to supporting artists through its Artist in Residence programme, as well as engaging the local communities through events, exhibitions, and public art.
“We are thrilled to have brought the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme to a close with the innovative exhibition, 'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era',” said Aisha al-Attiya, director of the Cultural Diplomacy Department, Qatar Museums. “By celebrating such a pivotal time in Qatar’s development through digital installations crafted by local artists, we can share this important part of our heritage with others in the United States. Telling these stories in such a captivating way allows visitors to learn more about Qatar, and its incredible history, in a new and immersive way.”
“As the curator of our artist-in-residency programme at The Fire Station, I have the great pleasure of working with young and emerging Qatari artists as they discover their own voices through art and contribute to our burgeoning cultural landscape,” said Dr Abudaya. “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to share these artist’s work outside of Doha and bring a piece of our culture to the United States through an exhibition highlighting an important part of our nation’s history: our pearling industry.”
"As we conclude the 2021 Year of Culture, the exchange between our two countries has been a reflection of brilliant artistry and has deepened our understanding of one another as we celebrated and revelled in the distinct artistic and cultural character of each nation," said Fatema al-Baker, director of Public Diplomacy at the embassy of Qatar. "The history of Qatari pearls spans thousands of years, and they are praised all over the world for their exquisite beauty and quality. ‘Pearls of Wonder’ illuminated a rich tradition of pearl diving in new and visually stunning ways, and we are proud to have shared our history with the world while showcasing the remarkable talents of these five Qatari artists."
The artists and works include the following:
* 'Bubbles & Pearls' by Mohamed Faraj al-Suwaidi: 'Bubbles & Pearl's explores how pearling has evolved over time and the risk and physically taxing nature of the profession.
Through virtual reality, viewers were submerged underwater, surrounded by pearls and bubbles of all shapes and sizes. Users were able to pop the bubbles around them, providing either oxygen, allowing them to continue the experience, or petroleum oil, which marked the end of the journey and represented the end of the pearling era and the new beginning of Qatar’s development. Al-Suwaidi is an architect currently pursuing his PhD in Digital Architecture. Over time, his artwork has evolved from mechanical sculptures to digital platforms.
* 'Singing Narratives within the Deep Sea', by Maryam al-Homaid: This projection-based installation used coding to bring archival photographs from the pearl diving era back to life. Inspired by the poem, 'The Remains of a Diving Ship', written by Mubarak bin Saif al-Thani, al-Homaid projected rediscovered images featuring moving effects that represent the waves of the sea.
The sequence celebrated the memories that remain singing within the ocean. Al-Homaid is an interdisciplinary designer who mixes technology-based mediums with the DIY culture to bridge the gap between high-tech mediums that exist today and the lost crafts that once existed in the Arabian Gulf.
* 'Vestige (Recollections)' by Alanoud al-Buainain: Through re-recorded archival footage, montages with animations and video created and filed by al-Buainain, viewers experienced the elements that continue beyond the surface of pearls and into the inner shell of the oyster, sea and dhows.
Viewers were surrounded by the sounds of the sea and pearl diving, brought together by rhythms that appear in songs performed by pearl divers on their journeys. Al-Buainain is a multidisciplinary artist working with drawing, photography, video, and installation. Her current work explores how people interact with the environment.
* 'A Journey to the Past' by May Almannai: Almannai created an animated window into the nineteenth century that visually showcases the pearl diver’s journey, from the ceremonial beach takeoff to the 'The Big Dive', which was when weather was clear, calm, and ideal for diving. Almannai is a self-taught visual artist and illustrator who works primarily with mixed media, a combination of digital and traditional painting, and handcrafted watercolours.
* 'Pearls of Rain' by Saida Alkhulaifi: Inspired by the old myth that pearls are created when oysters swallow raindrops, 'Pearls of Rain' imagined a foggy dream and nostalgic memory of the artist’s great grandparents. Through video, sound, photography, and archival footage, viewers experienced the overwhelming feelings and emotions evoked by pearl diving.
Alkhulaifi is a visual artist who explores themes of identity, societal norms and time, through a mix of analogue photography, experimental developing and printing, video, text and embroidery.
'Pearls of Wonder: a digital era' is just one of the many programmes that has been presented in the United States and Qatar this year. The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme debuted a series of in-person and virtual events, including exhibitions and installations of works by Qatari and American artists; events showcasing the music, film and fashion of both countries; culinary experiences and more.
