Qatar Museums’ extensive programme of public art demonstrates its commitment to bringing art directly to the people and expanding everyone’s creative horizons. Highlights of the public artworks on view, which enrich the lives of all citizens, include: the neon installation A Blessing in Disguise by Ghada Al Khater at Fire Station: Artists in Residence; Smoke, a sculpture by Tony Smith at the Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre; East-West/West-East, a monumental sculpture in the heart of the Qatar desert by Richard Serra; Gandhi’s Three Monkeys by Subodh Gupta at Katara Cultural Village; and Maman, a sculpture by Louise Bourgeois in the form of a giant steel spider at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Qatar Foundation. QM also collaborates with the Hamad International Airport (HIA), where major artworks created by local, regional, and international artists—including Adel Abdessemed, Ahmed Al Bahrani, Dia al-Azzawi, Mubarak Al Malik, Jenny Holzer, Tom Claassen, Urs Fischer, Ali Hassan, KAWS, Tom Otterness, and Bill Viola—can be seen.
QM also supports a variety of initiatives that aim to engage with contemporary artists in Qatar, including the 5/6 initiative, an annual open call inviting artists to propose a permanent public artwork to commemorate Qatar's resilience; the Student Initiative, inviting students and alumni of Qatari universities to create a temporary public artwork to be placed around the city; and JEDARIART, an annual programme activating the city walls bringing together artists through murals to enrich daily life and encourage the community to reflect on social, historical, and cultural issues. Other programmes such as tours, talks, and the protecting public art campaign occur throughout the year. Architect Abdulrahman Ahmed Al-Ishaq serves as Director of QM's Public Art department.