From left: Tadeu Valadares, Brazilian Ambassador, former Brazilian footballer Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico), the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Mohmmed bin Ahmed Alhayki, Qatari Ambassador to Brazil, pose for a picture during the launch of Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture at Museum of Islamic Arts yesterday. Shaival Dalal
DOHA: The Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture formally opened to a vibrant performance of centuries old Brazilian Capoeira martial art yesterday at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA).
Four-member Capoeira Dubai troupe presented an entertaining show which combined dance, acrobatics and music.
Qatar Brazil 2014 is the third Year of Culture organised by the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) following the success of Qatar Japan 2012 and Qatar UK 2013. Qatar Japan 2012 engaged nearly 80,000 people to its 33 activities while Qatar UK 2013 saw more than 350,000 people in over 90 activities in both Qatar and the UK.
“We welcome the opportunity to build on the strong relationship Qatar and Brazil share. Qatar Brazil 2014 will celebrate the people of our two nations, showcasing the finest we have to offer in the fields of culture, art, sport and education,” said Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari. This Year of Culture was initially announced at a grand pre-launch event during the celebrations of Qatar National Day at Qatar’s embassy in Brasilia, Brazil on December 18 last year. Qatar’s Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage is a key partner in each Year of Culture, and sent four artists to attend the Qatar National Day celebrations in Brasilia.
“We are proud of the legacies built and partnerships created by the Years of Culture and eagerly await a year of exploring shared passions, talents and cultural links with our friends in Brazil,” said Qatari Ambassador to Brazil Mohammed Al Hayki.
“Our peoples and societies are very proud of their distinct cultural heritages.
“At the same time, they are convinced of the need for supporting the indispensable dialogue of cultures, a fruitful exercise that fosters peace and harmony,” said Brazilian Ambassador Hildebrando Tadeu Valadares.
Qatar and Brazil have enjoyed close cultural and educational ties in recent years with the launch of several initiatives and high-level visits exploring future collaboration in those areas. Both nations share a passion for football that will guide several activities in the upcoming year.
“I am very excited to represent the Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture as its goodwill ambassador.
“Qatar and Brazil share great sporting ambitions, and I am honoured to be a part of this great international exchange which will unveil many cultural events unique to both of our nations,” said Al Gharafa Head Coach Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico.
One of the major events of this Year of Culture is We Speak Football which celebrates Qatar and Brazil’s shared passion for football. Developed by the Qatar Olympic and Sport Museum and the National Football Museum (Manchester, UK), We Speak Football is an international exhibition that will travel around the globe for the next nine years, with its first stop in Joao Pessoa, Brazil in May this year and its final show in Doha in 2022.
The exhibition will be an immersive, audio-visual rich and interactive experience celebrating players, coaches, and fans. We Speak Football exemplifies sport as a common ground for cultural discovery and exchange.
A fashion competition called Kheit will be organised next month between design students at universities in Qatar and Brazil, hosted in partnership with the National Museum of Qatar. Students from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo in Brazil will sketch and create garments that will be exhibited in both countries, and one winner from each will travel as a representative of their university.
In March, QMA will collaborate with the Crossway Foundation to host again Create and Inspire, a competition that identifies and trains talented youth in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
One of QMA’s flagship exhibitions, Pearls, will be on display at Museu de Arte Brasileira- Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (MAB-FAAP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil from July 18 until September 28.
Among other activities for the early part of this year are the Brazil Cinema Showcase organised monthly in partnership with Doha Film Institute and an exhibition by Brazilian photographer Caio Vilela to open at Katara Art Centre on February 15.
The Peninsula
