New sculpture by Liam Gillick on display at MIA Park.
Doha: A new 10-piece sculptural work by Liam Gillick called Folded Extracted Personified is on display at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park.
Now accessible for public viewing—and interaction—Gillick’s work is the latest installation in QM’s Public Art Program, which brings engaging, large-scale artworks into dialogue with people in the civic landscape of Doha.
The installation comprises a series of ten irregularly shaped panel sculptures—each a flat surface folded into a zigzag—which bear images abstracted from works in MIA and the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ). These sources from the extensive museum collections range from C12thIraqi illustrations to Turkish armor circa 1475-1525 to Iranian portraiture of the early C19thperiod and examples of pearl jewelry.
There are two images on each two-meter-forty-high sculpture. Circular holes, cut into the surface enable people to peer through, after the fashion of “head-in-the-hole” attractions at carnivals and fairs. Distributed at carefully chosen sites throughout MIA Park, the sculptures serve as invitations to the public to interact with one another, performing for observers and being photographed. The multi-part installation also invites playful interaction with the deep collections of Qatar museums by the many thousands of MIA Park users and was commissioned on occasion of the opening of the Jean Nouvel-designed NMoQ.
Other major works in the Public Art Program that are now on view include “Desert Horse” by Qatari artist Ali Hassan, “Shift to Light” by Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad, Richard Serra’s East/West, West/East and 7, Louise Bourgeois’sMaman, Damien Hirst’s The Miraculous Journey, Urs Fischer’s Lamp Bear, Tony Smith’s Smoke, Dia Azzawi’s Flying Man, and Sarah Lucas’sPerceval. Temporary installations by Qatari ARToonistGhada Al Khater are also on view through the program, as is Martin Creed’s Everything is Going to be Alright, which was commissioned to commemorate the anniversary of the blockade imposed on Qatar by neighboring countries.
Taking advantage of the intergenerational nature of MIA Park, Gillick’s sculptures are installed in the vicinity of the MIA playground, which offers areas suitable for people of different ages.
Abdulrahman Al Ishaq, Head of Public Art at Qatar Museums (QM), said, “Through displaying various forms of art in public space, we aim to inspire local talent and establish an organic connection between art and the local community. We hope these works speak to people who may envision themselves as cultural producers, creative practitioners, and museum professionals in years to come.”
Liam Gillick said, “Public art adds a new conversation about our context - both cultural and personal. This work is intended to celebrate the spirit of a diverse cultural landscape and provide an opportunity for spectators from all different backgrounds to playfully intersect. It is a tribute to the immense historical traditions of art and craft in the region.”
