HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at the opening of Outbreak exhibition
Outbreak', an art exhibition unveiled yesterday as part of the 8th Ajyal Film Festival, reaffirms the important role artists play during the pandemic in spreading awareness and giving people hope at a very challenging time. The artworks on show are as diverse as the styles employed by the 24 participating artists, but they all centre on one major theme which is the pandemic— the most relevant and unprecedented issue confronting humanity today. “Artists have many roles during the pandemic. Some choose to spread awareness while some choose to explore the idea of COVID-19, trying to look at the different sides, be positive, cooperative and more adjusted to the situation.
It’s a very interesting dialogue and each artist may pick a different approach on how they handle the situation,” Mohammed Faraj Al Suwaidi, one of the artists taking part in the show. An architect, animator and designer, the Qatari artist is showcasing a series of three related artworks which focus on consumerism in COVID-19 namely “Consumer Consumed (+)”, “Transmission”, and “Consumer Consumed (-)”. What stands out in the series is the duality of meaning of ‘transmission’, which he says refers to transmission of the virus and information from one person to another. “We find ourselves in a situation filled with so much misinformation, a very difficult situation. At first we didn’t know how to deal with the situation, how it was supposed to be handled,” he explained. Information awareness results to the person being conscious of what is going on in his surroundings as well as the consciousness of what he believes and doesn’t believe, he added. Qatari artist Maryam Faraj Al Suwaidi who is behind the installation “Oblivious Habits” believes artists have the responsibility to convey a message, raise awareness and provide hope to people amid the pandemic. “Like poets, philosophers, scientists, researchers; artists have the responsibility of delivering a message.
As an artist I feel I have the responsibility to express my perspective of giving hope and a sense of acceptance of the situation. Not every person has the ability to express that and as an artist I feel honoured and obligated. I feel that all artists have the responsibility of delivering this message,” she said. Using the concept of ‘art of destruction’, Maryam creates a powerful thought-provoking installation which conveys how people can embrace destruction and decay as part of life as nature takes its course. Different objects she has deliberately chosen to include in the piece work together to express a sense of emotion, action, rejection and acceptance in the midst of the pandemic.
The exhibition arouses the interest of art enthusiasts with unique pieces such as AJ Al Thani’s “Sand Box”, Maryam Al Homaid’s “Screens and QR Codes (The New Reality)”, Ali Al Mannai’s “Stop Rumors” and and Reem Al Haddad’s “Isolation.” Other artists who are showcasing their artworks at the show are Ibrahim Al-Baker, Shouq Al-Manaa, Hamad AlFayhani, Noor Al-Nasr, Saad Al-Muslamani, Roda Al-Thani, Bothayna AlZaman, Anfal Al-Kandari, Mohammed Al-Hammadi, Marsya Abdulghani, Elie Fahed, Abdulaziz Yousef, Adriane De Souza, Paul Valentine, Sharefa AlMannai, Maha Al-Subaey, Nasser AlKubaisi, and Ghada Al-Khater. Presented by Doha Film Institute, ‘Outbreak’ is open for public viewing until December 10 from 10am to10pm from Saturday through Thursday, and from 2pm to 10pm on Fridays in Sikkat Wadi Msheireb in Msheireb Downtown Doha.
