Qatar unveils monumental desert installations by Eliasson and Neto for World Cup
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani leads Qatar Museums, which has enlisted Olafur Eliasson and Ernesto Neto to create public art for the FIFA World Cup 2022, commencing on November 20. Eliasson's installation, 'Shadows travelling on the sea of the day,' comprises twenty mirrored discs located at Al Zubarah, while Neto's 'Slug Turtle, TemplEarth' is an octagonal design situated near Ain Muhammad. These artworks are part of a larger collection of over one hundred site-specific pieces throughout Qatar, featuring artists such as Jeff Koons and Yayoi Kusama, with the goal of drawing in 1.5 million visitors. Qatar Museums manages several institutions, including the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar. The opening match will take place at the $760 million Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Key facts
- Olafur Eliasson and Ernesto Neto commissioned for monumental desert installations in Qatar
- Works presented by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- Part of cultural program for FIFA World Cup 2022 starting November 20
- Eliasson's 'Shadows travelling on the sea of the day' at Al Zubarah (UNESCO site)
- Neto's 'Slug Turtle, TemplEarth' near Ain Muhammad fort
- Over 100 site-specific works commissioned by Qatar Museums
- Other artists include Simone Fattal, Jeff Koons, Ugo Rondinone, KAWS, Yayoi Kusama
- Richard Serra installation inaugurated in 2020 at Brouq nature reserve
- Qatar Museums developed Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf, National Museum of Qatar, M7
- Lusail Iconic Stadium ($760M, 80,000 seats) by MANICA Architecture and Foster + Partners
- Herzog & de Meuron designing Lusail Museum, opening 2023
- Exhibition 'Tales of a Connected World' at Al Riwaq Gallery previews Lusail Museum collections
Entities
Artists
- Olafur Eliasson
- Ernesto Neto
- Richard Serra
- Simone Fattal
- Jeff Koons
- Ugo Rondinone
- KAWS
- Yayoi Kusama
- Katharina Fritsch
- Peter Fischli
- David Weiss
- Suki Seokyeong Kang
- Shilpa Gupta
- Shezad Dawood
- Ieoh Ming Pei
- Jean Nouvel
- Herzog & de Meuron
Institutions
- Qatar Museums
- FIFA
- UNESCO
- Museum of Islamic Art
- Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
- National Museum of Qatar
- M7
- Valentino
- MANICA Architecture
- Foster + Partners
- Al Riwaq Gallery
- Lusail Museum
Locations
- Qatar
- Al Zubarah
- Doha
- Brouq
- Ain Muhammad
- Hamad International Airport
- Souq Waqif
- Lusail