Round & About

With a packed art calendar continuing into September 2021, here’s the best of what’s happening across the country this month.


Even as we continue viewing art online, we are slowly but steadily heading back into galleries and museums (mask and sanitiser in hand, of course) for workshops and activities. With a packed art calendar continuing into September 2021, here’s the best of what’s happening across the country this month.

Qatar residents, especially Culture Pass members, stand to benefit from several Qatar Museums (QM) activities and programmes this month which aim to provide “authentic, transformative cultural experiences”.

For the month of September, Culture Pass Plus or Family members will have the opportunity to attend Fannek events – “a full month of programmes dedicated to celebrating the exciting world of public art” – such as talks, tours, and workshops,.

Participants can visit some of the country’s popular public art spots on Fannek’s guided tours to Qatar Foundation, Richard Serra’s iconic sculpture East-West/West-East in the Brouq nature reserve, Katara – the Cultural Village, and the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), among others.

“Public art brings colour and dialogue to the streets and buildings of Qatar. Fannek helps us highlight and celebrate the many wonderful works of art – from striking sculptures and specially commissioned photography – spread across Doha and beyond,” the QM said on its website. “This month-long programme of events offered each autumn brings you behind the scenes as you explore Qatar’s immersive, informal and interactive public art scene.”

According to the QM, participants also have the chance to explore art pieces, speak to artists, and “find out more about the public art scene in Qatar via talks held throughout the month”, in addition to enhancing their skills at various art workshops.

Besides Fannek, the QM noted that Culture Pass also holds other programmes focusing on one theme every month such as Atharna, Menthaar, Mathafek, Marchitecture, and Turtle Hatching season.

Atharna is a month-long series of activities, exhibitions and talks dedicated to the wonders of archaeology, while Marchitecture is an annual celebration of architecture and urban design, created exclusively for Culture Pass members, where participants can explore Qatar’s beautiful architecture through tours and workshops offered throughout the month of March.

Menthaar, meaning “taking a closer look” in Arabic, helps participants “get involved in projects across a range of educational, cultural, environmental and historical fields, all of which are designed to give them the tools and knowledge to help build a better tomorrow”.

Meanwhile, Mathafek “provides members exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the QM’s venues to gain an understanding of the inner workings of our museums and galleries”.

Culture Pass members can also take part in the Architect’s Hub virtual talk titled Study Architecture? An holistic framework for a systems approach to education and practice, scheduled on September 15 at 7pm.

The panel includes Dr Raffaello Furlan, head of Qatar University’s Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, and two young architects and alumni, Sara al-Sada and Heba ElGihani.

Qatar residents can now virtually visit the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim (FBQ) Museum and explore unique collections with its newly launched mobile app (available for Android and iOS).

Qatar Museums:
Public Art Open Call: Student Competition 2021
Deadline: September 16
This year’s Public Art Student Open Call has invited students to propose a public artwork to be created with recycled materials to further advocate Qatar Museums’ ‘no waste’ policy for a temporary installation to be displayed in public spaces in Doha.
Students must be enrolled or have graduated within two years as an alumnus of any local school, university or college. Up to five winning proposals will be chosen, and the selected students will be granted up to QR25,000 to realise their concept by December 2021.

Doha Film Institute:
Juror Applications for Ajyal Film Festival
Deadline: October 24
The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has opened juror applications for youth from Qatar and beyond, for the ninth edition of its flagship Ajyal Film Festival, set to take place from November 7-19. Youth aged 8-25 are invited to participate in the Ajyal Jury programme that welcomes more than 500 jurors from over 50 nationalities annually.


Ajyal jurors will have an opportunity to attend online masterclasses lead by industry experts. The DFI’s annual signature event is a celebration of community and the permeating power of film for audiences across generations.
Registration at www.dohafilminstitute.com/ajyaljury.

Museum of Islamic Art (MIA):
Beautiful Memories of Palestine
Saturday to Thursday (9am to 6:30pm)
Friday (1:30pm to 6:30pm)
This exhibition is a pictorial journey through Palestine as seen through the Rare Book Collection in the Library at the Museum of Islamic Art. The books included in this exhibition range from 1610 CE to 1930 CE and are largely published in European languages as travel journals, stories, and histories.

For those who cannot visit the museum, you can also experience a virtual tour of the exhibition along with related activities for children online by visiting www.mia.org.qa/en/.

Diwani (Intermediate) with Hussein Ahmed
September 19, 26
11:30 am to 1:30pm
Diwani is a style of calligraphy developed during the time of the early Ottomans. Developed for the Ottoman diwan it was one of the secrets of the sultan’s palace and was used for writing royal decrees and other documents. Diwani calligraphy is known for its beauty and harmony on the page.

To successfully write in Diwani requires experience therefore this course is only suitable for those who have completed a beginners Diwani course.

Abstract Art 2.0 with Melina Da Moura
September 19
4pm to 6pm
Learn about Suprematism — an art movement consisting of geometric shapes and bold colors. Discuss the use of geometry in art and work in the style of some of the greatest Suprematist artsits of the 20th century.

Iznik Tiles with Maryam al-Abdulla
September 14, 15
4pm to 5:40pm
This course allows students to learn about the magnificent designs of Iznik from MIA`s collection.

Crazy Carpets
September 19, 21
3pm to 4pm
As part of Doha Capital of Culture of the Islamic World, join MIA to find out about the huge variety of shapes, sizes and colours of carpet in the MIA collection and how they link us to the wider Islamic world.

Pencil Drawing Workshop with Ismail Azzam
September 19, 20, 26
4pm to 6pm
Join renowned artist Ismail Azzam for this workshop on drawing with pencil. You will learn techniques of shading, light and introducing details. This workshop is for students with an existing background in portraiture, or still life, as it is an advanced level course.

Majlis Book Club
September 29
5pm to 7pm
Join MIA to read and discuss a wide variety of books – whose topics link with Islamic Art history, museums and collections, and regional artistic themes. A new text is chosen for each new meeting, inspiring readers to exchange ideas and thoughts amongst this creative group, and exploring the world of Islamic art from a new perspective. This month’s book is God is Beautiful and Loves Beauty: The Object in Islamic Art and Culture.