#QatarCreates Launches Two Weeks of Cultural Exchange

#QatarCreates is an annual two-week exhibition featuring cultural exchanges, dialogue, and collaboration at the forefront of art, architecture, fashion, design, and digital culture. Th

#QatarCreates is an annual two-week exhibition featuring cultural exchanges, dialogue, and collaboration at the forefront of art, architecture, fashion, design, and digital culture. The exhibition also includes a series of panel discussions that give the public in Doha access to a roster of leading cultural figures from Qatar, its region, and around the world. Bringing together a range of exciting events and programs throughout Doha, the exhibition included dynamic leaders and rising stars from creative industries in Qatar and around the world. 

A global summit for the cultural innovation economy, #QatarCreates brings together a range of exciting events and programs throughout Doha. Center stage this year is M7, Qatar’s new 312,000-square-foot hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion and design, built in the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha. One of the main highlights of Qatar Creates is the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards and presentation of the exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” at M7. 

Fashion Trust Arabia, the first initiative of its kind, is designed to support and showcase talented designers in the Arab world. During the ceremony, renowned FTA jurors and advisory board members were awarded the highly coveted annual prize. Other highlights of the 2021 #QatarCreates include major exhibitions dedicated to the work of Jeff Koons, the artist’s first major survey in the Middle East, and artist and designer Virgil Abloh, the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to his pioneering artistic practice. 

#QATARCREATES 2021 HIGHLIGHTS: 

Fashion Trust Arabia—the first initiative of its kind supporting and showcasing talented designers in the Arab world—bringing together renowned FTA jurors and advisory board members to award the highly coveted annual prize. Under the patronage and presence of honorary chair Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and co-chairs, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Tania Fares, the prize provided financial support, guidance, and mentorship to emerging designers in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. The showcase and judging for the awards took place at M7. 

Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, available for view through 31 March 2022 at the Garage Gallery at the Fire Station, is the first major exhibition dedicated to the work of the acclaimed American artist and designer. The mid-career retrospective brings together more than 55 works for an in-depth look at Abloh’s diverse pioneering media practice that ranges from visual arts to music, fashion, architecture, and design. “Figures of Speech” is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, adapted for this presentation by Qatar Museums, and designed by and in collaboration with AMO. It is part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture program. 

Jeff Koons: Lost in America, a new exhibition on view through 31 March 2022 at QM Gallery ALRIWAQ, is the first in the Gulf region of the work of the American artist Jeff Koons (b. 1955). Organized by renowned curator Massimiliano Gioni, the exhibition provides a unique view into the exceptional career of one of the best-known contemporary artists, whose work bridges Pop, Minimalism, and the readymade. The exhibition is presented as part of the 2021 Qatar-USA Year of Culture, an annual international cultural exchange program designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people. 

#QatarCreates Programming brings together distinguished international leaders and cultural innovators for conversations on fashion, design and art. Highlights included Valentino’s Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli and Naomi Campbell, moderated by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa, with an introduction by journalist Anders Christian Madsen; Dior’s Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri in conversation with photographer Brigitte Lacombe and journalist Caroline Issa; and Virgil Abloh, architect Samir Bantal, and designer and academic leader Rosanne Somerson on Abloh’s exhibition in Doha and the inspiration that architectural firm OMA has had on his work. 

Art for Tomorrow Talks, presented in association with The New York Times, will convene artists, museum leaders, curators, and cultural experts to look closely at topical issues, exploring the social and economic impact of art.