7 by Richard Serra
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Strength in numbers
In Islamic culture, the number seven has spiritual significance.
Serra pays homage to this in this sculpture – constructed from seven steel plates.
The powerful piece faces the sea in MIA Park, embracing the surrounding greenery and delighting spectators as they relax by the coast.
What I think is interesting about this piece is that you don't have to know anything about art – you're just going to get an experience that's different from most other sculpture. Then you can digest how or why it's different
Richard Serra
Richard Serra was commissioned by Qatar Museums to create ‘7’ based on the personal recommendation of I.M.Pei – the architect who built the adjacent Museum of Islamic Art.
According to Pei, he wanted an artist that would complement the museum and, 'connect the aesthetic content of the museum to the possibility of building a public space for the people'.
The project took around three years to complete and was unveiled in 2011.