Donated Treasures at Public Art
Public Art across Qatar is shaped by generous donations that bring art into our shared spaces, making creativity accessible to all.
Ahmed Al Bahrani’s Baby Balloon is a playful sculpture where a baby holds up an oversized balloon with a map of the world. Beneath its light appearance, the work asks serious questions about innocence, vulnerability, and the world we grow up in. By using a simple, everyday image like a balloon, Al Bahrani turns childhood into a powerful symbol of hope, fragility, and the future we share.
This work was donated to Qatar Museums before its production and is now located Women’s Wellness and Research Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation.
In addition to Baby Balloon, Doha is home to several of his public art pieces, including Dugong Family at Al Ruwais Beach, The Olympic Rings sculpture created for the 2006 Asian Games, The Challenge sculpture created for the 24th Men's Handball World Championship, 2015 and Flag of Glory installed outside the National Museum of Qatar.
Baby Balloon, Ahmed Al Bahrani
Berlin Wall
Segment of the Berlin Wall, presented by the German Embassy, on view at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
Segment of the Berlin Wall, a gift from the German Embassy, installed at Georgetown University in Qatar.
These segments of the Berlin Wall, which once divided East and West Germany from 1961 to 1989, have transformed from symbols of separation into powerful icons of hope, freedom and transformation. For many artists, graffiti became a medium for expressing their perspectives on politics, society, and culture.
One such artist, Thierry Noir (b. 1958, France), was the first to paint on the Berlin Wall, starting in 1984. His art, characterised by bold shapes and vibrant colours, often no more than three at a time, emerged from the necessity of working quickly in an outdoor, public setting. His goal was never just to decorate the Wall, but to strip it of its fear and mystery. Through his playful, striking images, Noir demonstrated how art can transform even a symbol of division into a canvas of creativity and hope.
Qatar–Germany Year of Culture: A Gift of the Berlin Wall
In 2017, as part of the Qatar-Germany Year of Culture, two segments of the Berlin Wall were gifted by the German Embassy and now stand as cultural landmarks at Georgetown University and the Qatar National Convention Centre.
This exchange commemorates the diplomatic relationship between Qatar and Germany, which began in 1973, with the German Embassy having been a cornerstone of this enduring partnership in Doha.
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Donated Treasures at the National Museum of Qatar
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Donated Treasures at 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum
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