The Museum of Islamic Art is a museum on one end of the seven-kilometer-long (4.3 mi) Corniche in Doha, Qatar. As per the architect I. M. Pei's specifications, the museum is built on an island off an artificial projecting peninsula near the traditional dhow harbor. A purpose-built park surrounds the edifice on the eastern and southern facades while two bridges connect the southern front facade of the property with the main peninsula that holds the park. The western and northern facades are marked by the harbor showcasing the Qatari seafaring past. In September 2017, Qatar Museums appointed Julia Gonnella as director of MIA. In 2024 Julia Gonnella became director of the Lusail Museum, also and was replaced by Shaika Nasser Al-Nassr. In November 2022 the MIA became the first carbon-neutral certified museum in the Middle East. The museum participated in the Expo 2023 Doha from October 2023 until March 2024, with workshops and events focusing on biodiversity and sustainability.
The culture of Qatar is strongly influenced by traditional Bedouin culture, with less acute influence deriving from India, East Africa, and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. The peninsula's harsh climate has historically shaped the lifestyle of its inhabitants, driving a reliance on the sea for sustenance and fostering a distinct emphasis on maritime activities within local culture. Arts and literature themes are often related to sea-based activities. Qatari folklore and music best exemplify the state's marine tradition, with pearling trips serving as the main inspiration for music and traditional Qatari myths like May and Ghilân being centered around the sea.
Doha is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It is also Qatar's fastest growing city, with over 80% of the nation's population living in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, known collectively as the Doha Metropolitan Area.
Youssef Nabil was born on the 6th of November 1972. He is an Egyptian artist and photographer. Youssef Nabil began his photography career in 1992.
Katara Cultural Village, also known simply as Katara, is a cultural and commercial complex in Doha, Qatar, located on the eastern coast between West Bay and the Pearl.
Saskia de Brauw is a Dutch artist and model. She began modeling at sixteen but quit after one year to attend art school in Amsterdam. Returning to modeling at the age of 29, she quickly became a successful fashion model. Notable appearances include Carine Roitfeld's final cover for French Vogue (2011) and a starring role in David Bowie's 2013 music video The Stars . Her photographs of found objects have been exhibited at the National Museum of Scotland. She and her husband, photographer and filmmaker Vincent van de Wijngaard, collaborate on multimedia projects that include his photographs and her writing.
Qatar National Day is a national commemoration of Qatar's unification in 1878. It is celebrated annually on 18 December and is a national holiday by virtue of a 21 June 2007 decree of the then Crown Prince and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. It is also known as Founder's Day.
Qatar Museums was founded in 2005 and is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at the Katara Cultural Village, ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space, the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, and archaeological projects throughout Qatar, as well as the development of future projects and museums that will highlight its collections across multiple areas of activity including Orientalist art, photography, sports, children's education, and wildlife conservation.
Gandhi's Three Monkeys is a series of sculptures created in 2008 by Indian artist Subodh Gupta that portrays three heads in different types of military headgear. The sculptures recall a visual metaphor from India's famous champion of peace, Mahatma Gandhi, of the "Three wise monkeys", representing the principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".
The Qatar Museums (QM) Public Art Department is responsible for overseeing the installation of artwork by renowned artists in the public realm in Qatar, creating an artist residency program for young local artists to help them develop their skills, organizing exhibitions featuring international artists and developing an online community of both local and international creative talents. The QM intends to develop Qatar into a world-class cultural destination, notably in modern and contemporary art.
The mass media in Qatar relays information and data in Qatar by means of television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines and the internet. Qatar has established itself as a leading regional figure in mass media over the past decade. Al Jazeera, a global news network which was established in 1996, has become the foundation of the media sector. The country uses media to brand itself and raise its international profile.
Leila Alaoui was a French–Moroccan photographer and video artist. She worked as a commercial photographer for magazines and non-governmental organizations and completed assignments on refugees. Her work was exhibited widely and is held in the collection of Qatar Museums. Alaoui died from injuries suffered in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Nadia Lee Cohen is a British artist, photographer, filmmaker, and model. She works inside popular culture, citing inspiration from cinema, commercials, and consumerism, which then re-enters the mass media in the form of magazine covers, music videos and Instagram posts.
Katara Hospitality, formerly known as Qatar National Hotels Company, is the largest hotel owner, developer and operator in Qatar. It is government-owned. As of 2016, the company owns properties in Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, Spain and Thailand. The company has a portfolio of 40 hotels in mid-2019.
Juno Calypso is a British photographer. Her self-portraits are personal works about feminism, isolation, loneliness and being self-sufficient. Working alone, Calypso has made highly stylised photographs of herself whilst dressed as a fictional alter-ego, "Joyce", in unusual surroundings. She also works as a commercial photographer.
Italy–Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between Italy and Qatar. Italy has an embassy in Doha and Qatar has an embassy in Rome.
China – Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China and the State of Qatar. China has an embassy in Doha, while Qatar has an embassy in Beijing. With diplomatic relations first formed in 1988, Qatar is a strategic ally of China, and the two countries maintain a strong relationship.
Tyler Mitchell is an American photographer. He is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is best known for his cover photo of Beyoncé for the cover of Vogue.
Qatari literature traces its origins back to the 19th century. Originally, written poetry was the most common form of expression, but poetry later fell out of favor after Qatar began reaping the profits from oil exports in the mid-20th century and many Qataris abandoned their Bedouin traditions in favor of more urban lifestyles.
Cinema in Qatar is a relatively young industry that evolved as part of the country’s plans to develop different local sectors with the aim of accumulating international recognition and status. Many major steps were taken to implement a long-term plan to develop the infrastructure as well as giving opportunities to local talents to have a platform that establishes their presence within the film industry with the support of the Doha Film Institute, and their various grants, workshops and festivals. The Qatar National Vision 2030 has three major pillars to development: human, social economic and environmental; this vision provides frameworks that enable the development of different elements within Qatar and its society; one of which is the high importance put on developing and cultivating artistic talents to represent and define Qatar on a global scale. Another important element in developing the movie industry is the influence and vision of Sheikha Al Mayassa who founded Doha Film Institution; the establishment of film as a mode of storytelling was imperative because it serves the purpose of granting Qatar a global presence through the talents that are supported and cultivated because of her initiative. The film industry plays a role in amplifying the Qatari national identity alongside the identity of the Arab world as a whole.
