10 must-see public art installations in Doha for the football World Cup
- Works by Damien Hirst, Urs Fischer, Daniel Arsham and Louise Bourgeois are among 100 public art pieces placed around Doha ahead of the World Cup
- Visitors can enjoy ‘world-renowned, mid-career and first-time artists’ on a single journey within the city, says Sarah Foryame Lawler, who heads the project
In the run-up to the football World Cup, Doha, the capital city of host country Qatar, has been transformed into something of an open-air art museum.
A hundred public art installations, sculptures and paintings produced by emerging and established artists from all seven continents will greet the 1 million spectators expected by Qatar Tourism at the country’s airport, stadiums, beaches, markets, metro stations, hotels and cultural spaces.
The Public Art project is designed to provide a taste of the contemporary, global art scene within the city.
“We are committed to fostering a deeper, inclusive impact of public art within the community,” says Sarah Foryame Lawler, head of curatorial planning for Public Art at Qatar Museums, the country’s art and culture body.
“I love that our audiences can experience world-renowned, mid-career and first-time artists on a single commute within the city,” she adds.
But will it appeal to visiting sports fans, who may not seem obvious lovers of art?