(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar Museums (QM) and Hamad International Airport (HIA) have joined hands to launch a series of exclusive guided tours of iconic artworks by local and international artists displayed at HIA, available to Qatar Museums' Culture Pass members.
The first guided tour took place on Tuesday and was fully booked within 24 hours of the opening of the registrations
earlier this month.
The tours, which are offered exclusively to Culture Pass members, will run on a monthly basis for up to 50 participants throughout the year. Culture Pass members can sign up for the tours on QM's website.
This initiative follows the successful tours that QM organised earlier this year, which had hundreds of Culture Pass members sign up to visit the much anticipated National Museum of Qatar.
During the tour, QM experts walked the attendees through the impressive art collection, offering a unique perspective on the artworks and artists by telling each piece's individual story.
QM has worked with local, regional and international artists for many years to commission and acquire artworks for key locations in and around HIA as part of its mission to create easily accessible cultural experiences for all those who live in and visit Qatar. Artworks on show at the HIA comprise a mix of site-specific creations and pieces which have been carefully selected for the airport.
Khalid al-Ibrahim, chief strategic planning office at QM said: 'Public art is central to our mission to push the boundaries of the traditional museum model and offer cultural experiences in public spaces. We have a beautiful collection of art at HIA, which continuously inspires the millions of visitors and residents that fly through the airport. We urge art enthusiasts based in Qatar to not miss this opportunity to experience the exquisite collection with the help of one of QM's expert guides.
Abdulaziz al-Mass, vice-president commercial, HIA said: 'Qatar Museums is one of our key partners and is supporting us to turn the airport into a unique space by offering a unique cultural experience to our passengers at every corner of HIA. The success of the first registrations for the tour is very encouraging and we hope to welcome all Cultural Pass members in the months to come. At HIA we take pride in innovating on all fronts, including the arts. With more than 30mn passengers transiting through HIA every year and our vision, the airport is set to become a gateway to the arts and culture.
HIA features several artworks from local and international artists, including: a piece by Qatari artist Ali Hassan, who has produced an iconic desert horse sculpture, which lives just outside of the airport building; as well as local artists, Salman al-Malik, Mubarak al-Malik, and Amal al-Rabban.
In addition, Lamp Bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer takes centre stage in the grand foyer leading to HIA's world-class duty-free hall. A herd of Oryx statues by Dutch artist Tom Claassen welcomes travellers at arrivals hall, while American sculptor Tom Otterness has offered a unique take on the Playground through a series of installations around the airport.
Other featured international artists include Adel Abdessemed, Dia al-Azzawi, Ahmed al-Bahrani, Maurizio Cattelan, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer, Marc Quinn, Anselm Reyle, Rudolf Stingel and
Bill Viola.
QM's Culture Pass programme offers nearly 20,000 members unique access to diverse cultural activities across Qatar. Members receive a vast range of benefits from QM and its partners, including access to workshops that develop creative skills and explore exhibition-related themes; dedicated newsletters with the latest activities taking place in Qatar and abroad; invitations to attend exclusive exhibition openings; private tours of galleries and discounts of up to 15-25% at QM cafes, gift shops and selected sites.
To sign up for QM's Culture Pass Programme: http://www.qm.org.qa/en/culturepass
To sign up for the HIA public art tour e-mail:
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