Qatar Museums wraps up Qatar-India Year of Culture 2019

The Qatar-India 2019 saw an exciting array of exhibitions, festivals, competitions and events that took place in both the countries over the past 12 months. The carefully curated programme was specially designed to promote mutual understanding, recognition and appreciation between both India and Qatar.

The programme began with the award-winning ticket to Bollywood performance in Qatar which paid tribute to Bollywood – one of the world’s biggest film industries. The performance was produced and directed by award-winning Director Shubhra Bhardwaj and choreographed by the talented Pravarsen Yesambare. Back in India, QM kickstarted the year with a showing of the hugely successful Monsoon Wedding Musical, known as the anthem of modern India. Additionally, a variety of exhibitions of various themes took place over the past year. These have included:

Still More World by Delhi-based Raqs Media Collective, which presented 13 installations, two of which were created especially for the show in Doha. The exhibition was curated by Senior Curator Laura Barlow and drew on the energy of Doha’s urban landscape of light. The installations, ranging from videos, to textiles and sculptures made between 2011 and 2019, were presented in three galleries at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. The two newly created pieces were titled, Dohas for Doha and To People, and were displayed on Burj Doha.

Where Cultures Meet: A Photographic Encounter Between Qatar and India is on show at Katara – the Cultural Village until December 31 in Gallery 18. As part of Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture, two Qatari photographers – Hamad al-Shamari and Aisha al-Sadah – travelled to the Himalayan region of Ladakh, India, for two weeks. The aim was to create an inspiring portfolio that will help foster mutual understanding and cultural relations between the two countries. Alongside it, two Qatar-based Indian photographers – Ajeesh Puthiyadath and Salim Abdulla – were selected as part of an open call to participate in the exhibition.
The final event of the year was the award-winning musical Mughal e-Azam, one of India’s most iconic performances.

Qatar India 2019, sponsored by Qatar Airways, was planned in collaboration with leading institutions in Qatar and India, including the Embassy of Qatar in New Delhi, the Embassy of India in Doha, Qatar’s Ministry of Culture and Sport, Qatar foundation, Katara, The National Tourism Council, Qatar National Library , Doha film institute and many more.

Heading towards its 9th year, the 2020 edition will celebrate Qatar’s ties with France. This year is expected to have a host of exciting events, exhibitions and activities that will introduce audiences in France to Qatar’s rich heritage, while bringing some of France’s most inspiring cultural acts to the country.