Groundbreaking exhibition featuring the founders of minimalism to launch in Qatar.

This month Qatar Museums will open the largest museum exhibition outside of the United States — and the first in-depth presentation worldwide in nearly two decades — of the work of the closely linked American artists Dan Flavin (1933–1996) and Donald Judd (1928–1994). The exhibition will also be the first major presentation of the pair’s works in the MENA region.

The artists were considered two of the founders of minimalism, the widely influential art movement that broke free from traditional notions of painting and sculpture to focus on experiencing real space and materials. Flavin and Judd met in 1962 in New York, and quickly became central figures among a cohort of artists including Lee Bontecou, John Chamberlain, Yayoi Kusama, Sol Lewitt, Claes Oldenburg and Frank Stella, who were charting the new terrain between painting and sculpture.

Opening to the public on October 25 at QM Gallery Al Riwaq, the exhibition – Dan Flavin | Donald Judd: Doha – is organised by Qatar Museums in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and features 34 works by Flavin and 25 by Judd.

It focuses on the artists’ shared engagement with material, colour and form. Spanning the 1960s through to the 1990s, the exhibition will highlight works from Qatar Museums’ collection, as well as important loans from other museums, private collections, the Dan Flavin Estate and the Judd Foundation.

“We are grateful to Michael Govan and our partners at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for working with us to bring this landmark exhibition to Qatar, where we are introducing the works of two icons of contemporary art, Dan Flavin and Donald Judd, not just to Qatar but to the entire region,” said Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums. “The lasting influence of these artists is not limited to the visual arts. Their work continues to be a touchstone in fields as diverse as architecture, design and furniture. It is especially fitting that this exhibition opens during Qatar Creates Week, when we celebrate all artistic disciplines and consider how art has the power to transcend boundaries.”

The exhibition is organised with works by both the artists installed in the three central galleries, demonstrating their intersecting concerns and practices. The galleries flanking this central section are dedicated to each artist separately. A robust public programme will accompany the exhibition, which runs until February 2024, and include in-person and digital panel conversations and lectures, special tours and more. ✤

GO: VISIT QM.ORG.QA FOR MORE INFORMATION.