Gerhard Richter Pavilion To Open In Qatar's MIA Park In November

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A new permanent pavilion dedicated to artist Gerhard Richter is slated to open in Qatar this fall, situated in MIA Park outside Doha 's Museum of Islamic Art. The structure was designed by Richter himself and developed in collaboration with Selldorf Architects, the firm led by Annabelle Selldorf. Selldorf's notable projects include the Frick Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, David Zwirner, and Hauser & Wirth.

The Qatar Museums group, which is behind the initiative, issued a press release stating that the Doha Pavilion was“designed by Gerhard Richter as a free-standing work of art and architecture housing a distinct body of his paintings and sculpture.” Its opening is scheduled for November 20 as part of Rubaiya Qatar, a new quadrennial event for contemporary art from around the world.

Richter articulated his vision for the building, saying:“My trip to Doha in 2013 came two years into developing my Strip paintings, and the city's architecture and history sparked an idea for a pavilion that could unite the thematic threads of that body of work. The Pavilion's exterior features decorative tiles based on the Patterns that first led me to the Strips. Inside, Strip paintings hang alongside Mirrors and the Strip Tower.” He added:“Doha is the right place and the only place for my Pavilion.”

The exterior patterns, created through mathematically inclined digital processes, are said to“recall the carefully constructed geometries of Islamic art, where interlaced arabesques and endlessly repeating tiles dazzle the eye and act as windows into the spiritual world,” according to the press release. Inside, two large Mirror works will be placed between Strip paintings, intended to offer“a literal reflection, or meditation, on painting and image-making.”

Architect Selldorf commented on her involvement:“It is an uncommon honor to assist Gerhard Richter in realizing his vision for this project, a major addition to his endlessly probing and fascinating body of work, as well as a privilege to contribute to Doha's extraordinary ensemble of contemporary architecture.” Rubaiya Qatar itself is scheduled to open on November 21 and will continue through April 2027. The event will feature 25 new commissions and six public art installations, emphasizing artists from outside the Western Hemisphere.

Source: ARTnews

MENAFN10092026005694012507ID1111648498