Temporary Public Art Initiative

Doaa Emam is an imaginative Interior Designer at VCUarts Qatar with a growing interest in designing and creating spatial environments. Her explorative projects and designs aim to provoke creative thinking and thoughtful perceptions, with a dedication towards exploring user experiences.

Her installation Prismatic Dreamscape: Illuminated Creativity, is an abstract representation of a “creative bubble”, a space with boundaries formed through the interaction between light, colour and material.

Playing with the idea of tangible reality, Emam’s installation explores altered perceptions and the relationship between oneself and one’s surroundings. Whether you stand within the ‘creative bubble” or view it from the outside, a playful experience allows you to explore layers of reality by engaging your sight, imagination and reflections.

The different coloured “scattered filters” within the Prismatic Dreamscapes: Illuminated Creativity installation prompts the audience to engage with what is revealed and what is concealed, while looking through and in between the layers of colours and shapes. The exploration is a prismatic experiential journey that can be viewed by walking inside or outside the “creative bubble”.

Visitors are invited to look within and beyond the boundaries of the installation, to explore, and discover your own unique creative perceptions.

Image: Doaa Emam. Prismatic Dreamscape: Illuminated Creativity, 2023. Painted Steel, Transparent Acrylic Sheets. 520 x 520 x 300 cm.

Ibrahim El Kilani is a mixed-media artist in Qatar who tackles societal and political issues. With an engineering foundation, his work is known for its careful attention to detail and dimensionality. His art is featured in major exhibitions and institutions in Qatar, including the Ajyal Art Exhibition by the Doha Film Institute, Katara Art Centre, and live art performances at UDST.

The artwork Soon It Will Rain is a symbolic representation of optimism and belief that positive changes will come. The context of the art is based on the geographical setting of the state of Qatar, a desert climate with a predominantly dry region where rain is known as a rare occurrence. El Kilani emulates Minecraft, a blocky, three-dimensional generated world-building game to express his idea. Much like the world-building game, the artist crafts a joyful and optimistic rain imagery by extracting raw materials, associating rain with feelings of joy, good fortune and celebration within the community.

Image: Ibrahim El Kilani. Soon It Will Rain, 2023. Wood, Acrylic Paint. 380 x 180 x 100 cm.

Aisha Al-Abdulla is a multidisciplinary artist. At the time of her selection, she was a Painting and Printmaking student at Virginia Commonwealth University scheduled to graduate in 2023. Influenced by anime and video games, her work revolves around character design, world-building and themes related to her personal experience. She has participated in multiple group shows such as the GCB MiniPrint exhibition in Berlin, and the Studio 675 and From Near exhibitions at the art gallery at Multaqa in Education City. Moreover, she collaborated with the local brand Ortensia for their summer collection campaign in 2021.

Al-Abdulla’s sculpture installation revolves around the activities of the fictional character Raincoat Girl, a creature from a series called Above the Cloud, who uses rain to cleanse the Earth from pollution and other things created by human chaos.

At the time of her selection, Zeest Marrium was a senior at Northwestern University, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Media Industries and Technology and minors in Anthropology and Middle East Studies. Her research interests focus on the museum landscape, exploring them as structures of inequality and repositories of culture. As a visual artist and creator, Marrium believes in bringing the audience near the artefacts to enhance the visitor experience. Therefore, she is inclined to use visual modes of storytelling: photographs and short films in particular.

Daʼūb, which translates to ‘tireless,’ is a photographic peek into the behind-the-scenes of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Qatar relies on about one million construction workers, who make up more than a third of the country’s workforce. Many leave behind families who depend on them financially. This photographic installation monumentalises the work of the migrant workers that went into building infrastructure for the global sporting event.

Image: Zeest Marrium. Daʼūb, 2022.

Maryam Al-Tajer is a fine arts honour graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her approach to art and design is primarily contemporary and poetic. She is passionate about breaking the rules of calligraphy and the formation of Arabic words. She explores different ways of portraying calligraphy by experimenting with various methods and mediums.

Al-Tajer’s sculpture Birdakh is inspired by the process of bardakha, which is the pounding of the zari (golden threads of the bisht) with an iron hammer to clean it until it returns to its original bright golden colour. This process increases the cohesion and luster of the zari threads and shows the beautiful inscriptions and decorations in them. The artwork refers to the recent Gulf crisis period, when relations were about to fade like the tired thread of an old bisht; the polishing process (bardakha) was needed to restore the Gulf bisht’s original beautiful golden colour.

Image: Maryam Al-Tajer. Birdakh, 2022.

Alanoud Al-Ghamdi is a Qatari artist and calligrapher who delivers creative, thought-provoking messages that reflect the world we live in today.

As a commentary on carbon emissions, water pollution and the effects of climate change, Al-Ghamdi repurposes metal scraps to showcase how materials can be recycled to create a unique artwork. Desert Rose embodies Qatar’s famous crystal formation, incorporating Arabic calligraphy to add a unique element that invites audiences to connect with the Qatari national treasure.

Image: Alanoud Al-Ghamdi. Desert Rose, 2021.

An undergraduate student at Qatar University majoring in Environmental Science at the time of her selection, Johaina Al Ahmad was also working as a part-time student employee at Qatar University’s Center for Advanced Materials with a specialisation on smart nano-solutions. She is particularly interested in environmental remediation and protection using nanotechnologies.

Al Ahmad's smart wall is based on recycling plastics facilitated through the extrusion of polymer waste and carbon black. She used the synthesised conducting composites from waste carbon black particles and plastics as base materials to design conductive tiles.

In this smart wall, Al Ahmad also painted tiles with conductive material made from waste carbon black from Qatar Aluminum Company. Solar panels are embedded in the tiles to utilise renewable energy which can be used to recharge phones and other electronic devices. As an added feature, the smart wall can also incorporate sensors to display the humidity and temperature.

Image: Johaina Al Ahmad. Smart Wall, 2021.

Nada Elkharashi is an interdisciplinary designer-researcher focused on creating thought-provoking experiences and realities. Her work lies at the intersection of materiality, cultural philosophy and human ecology.

Eggo is a public canopy wall that adds value to the lifespan of single-use egg crates. Eggo transforms the basic egg tray into perforated screens by subtracting holes from the opposing protrusions. While allowing users to appreciate the shade, Eggo also serves as a tool to stimulate our emotional sympathetic system into action—to start seeing and feeling what we do not typically see and feel with the disposable matter.

The use of egg crates in this foreign setting triggers viewers to be more attentive to adapt and shift their behaviour to respect the life of a nonliving organism.

Image: Nada Elkharashi. Eggo, 2021.

The installation comprised six freestanding ‘Dugonoliths,’ as the artist calls them, arranged to catch natural light from the sun.  Each Dugonolith has the line image of a ‘Sea Camel’ (or sea cow) cut into its vertical steel plate. This physical template similar to a gobo or stencil is glazed with coloured filter sheets.
‘Sea Camels,’ also commonly called Dugongs, are native to the Qatari coastline. Familiar to ancient mariners and today’s fishermen, these intelligent and gentle creatures have been living in the ocean for 50 million years. They are an endangered species and the second largest population exists in Qatari waters. These animals have many benefits and are considered holy in certain regions around the world.

Image: Ahmed Mahrous. ‘Sea Camels’/ ‘Dugonolith’. Steel plates, filtered glass. 120 x 300 cm. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020

Groundbreaking is a multidimensional concept showcasing a larger-than-life coffee bean inspired Hanof’s personal love for coffee and the growing coffee community in Qatar. Recognising that there are coffee shops located around every corner, Hanof aims to transform coffee culture into a permanent symbol engaging all members of the community. Groundbreaking is multidisciplinary in nature incorporating several different art forms within the confines of the three-dimensional embodiment of a freestanding coffee bean. A delicate mesh of Arabic calligraphy symbolises unity through intercalating artistic methods. The interplay of architectural elements within the letters adds a geographical stamp to make clear that it belongs to the Arab region: a pivotal feature of the tableau. The sculpture is further elevated with engraved poetry to establish the importance of coffee in the Arab world, which dates back to the mid-15th century in Yemen’s Sufi monasteries.

Image: Hanof Ahmed, Groundbreaking, 2020. Stainless steel, bronze, refined with 18K gold. 150 x 180 x 100 cm. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.

This sculpture aimed to bring awareness toward these gentle giant species of sharks, whale sharks. Contrary to the many misperceptions about sharks, whale sharks are friendly creatures that can be spotted swimming alongside boats and playfully interacting with scuba divers. This sculpture attempts to capture the playful and perky soul of a whale shark by shaping it into thousands of little Lego blocks that bring up memories from our childhood.

Image: Hend Jamal. Gentle Gargantuan, 2020. MDF. 200 x 800 cm. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.

Balance Bench was an interactive public artwork that tackled the notion of boundaries (psychological and physical) on both an individual and a political scale. The seat’s unstable and divided form is emblematic of the social, cultural and political barriers between people. People activate the seat as they balance it through collective effort. One person cannot sit alone --- the seat only balances when four people are interacting and cooperating. Since each person’s movements affect the stability of the other, they all inevitably become aware of the significance of each other’s presence.

Image: Majdulin Nasrallah. Balance Bench, 2020. Steel, waterproof upholstery. 100 x 100 x 100 cm each. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.

Qatar’s Collaborative Matrix draws from Qatar’s resilience and collaborative spirit. It speaks to the power of individuals coming together and the value of the collective. The structure was made of modular units that, when assembled, created a matrix that allowed people to sit, gather, talk, work and collaborate. It added an element of functionality to the concept of traditional public art, allowing the public to engage with the structure.

The terrazzo tiles were a reinterpretation of a traditional tile that has been manufactured in Qatar since the 1970s and was a part of many homes. The designed tiles are made using handmade ceramics created by the community at the Clay Encounters Ceramics Design Studio. These recycled pots were crushed and cast into the tiles to further reinforce the concept of individuals coming together to form a whole.

Image: Reema Abu Hassan. Qatar’s Collaborative Matrix, 2020. Terracotta tiles, aluminium. 240 x 280 cm. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.

Concept: Aimed to raise environmental awareness and shed light on the importance of a balanced ecosystem, the State of Qatar turned great attention to wildlife. In Qatar, Red Foxes are widely distributed in low numbers. They are subject to hunting and road accidents. “The Thaal Family” artwork was designed purposefully to support the Qatari environmental vision which focuses on maintaining sustainable wildlife, protected and developed by a discerning society, for a better future for the next generations.

Shaden Al Riyabi & Hend Jamal. The Thaal Family, 2020. 3D printing. 20 x 60 cm - 30 x 90 cm each. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.

Due to Coronavirus, many of us stayed at home to protect ourselves and the ones we love from the risks of COVID-19. Others were forced to face this risk every day.

Eyes Do Not Sleep was dedicated entirely to doctors, nurses, paramedics and everyone in the medical field to honour them for risking their lives to protect us. These fighters deserve their names to be known, appreciated and recognized. Our eyes are directed to witness them all around Qatar.

Image: Shatha Al Riyabi. Eyes Do Not Sleep, 2020. 3D printing. 100 x 100 cm. On view in Lusail City from 28 March until 30 April 2020.