Damien Hirst's 'The Miraculous Journey' Sparks Controversy in Qatar

In 2013, Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani commissioned Damien Hirst to create 'The Miraculous Journey' for the Sidra Medical Center in Doha, Qatar. The series of 14 bronze sculptures, conceived in 2005 and completed over three years, depicts human gestation from conception to birth. Ranging from 5 to 11 meters in height and weighing 216 tons, the work was initially covered after installation due to criticism, then unveiled again in 2018. The explicit representation of the female uterus and fetal development stirred debate in the Arab world, where depictions of the human body are sensitive. Hirst noted it is the first nude in a public art project in the Middle East. The work was commissioned as part of Qatar's cultural modernization ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, overseen by the Qatar Museum Authority and Qatar Foundation. The sculptures remain at Sidra Hospital, a women's and children's hospital, and have drawn both support from pro-life movements and criticism from conservative quarters.