Beyond Museums - Doha's Public Art

By: Rizwan Qureshi

The sleek assembly of West Bay’s ultramodern towers defines Doha’s famous skyline. West Bay is a corporate hub; directly opposite stands the tallest sculpture in the city. Titled ‘7’, the sculpture consists of 7 steal plates erected in a circle like a minaret. This structure by the American artist Richard Serra is quite a contrast to the futuristic skyscrapers opposite. The inspiration for the artist was the 10th century minarets – probably from Ghazni – which were designed with planar surfaces rather than in the round. The design further expanded on the work of Persian mathematician Abu Sahl al-Quhi dealing with the construction of heptagon. Serra’s work is best experienced by walking around it – and in the case of ‘7’, explored from inside. Inside, the open top frames the sky like a camera shutter.

Doha’s landscape is dotted with such thought-provoking visual wonders. The Qatar Museums website lists over a hundred public art installations and provides a digital map to locate these (https://qm.org.qa/en/visit/public-art/map/). The collection extends beyond urban spaces into the dessert.

Visitors encounter striking sculptures immediately upon arrival at Hamad International Airport and the most iconic being the lamp/bear sculpture by Swiss born Urs Fischer. Cast in iron, this oversized teddy bear is based on the toy the artist owned as a child. Toys awaken joy and nostalgia, transporting us back to childhood.

A giant thumb sculpture stands in the bustling market, Souq Waqif. During the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments the fans of the winning teams would gather here to celebrate. The work of French artist César Baldaccini, Le Pose (thumb), has possible interpretations as thumbs-up or good luck.

Another monumental sculpture, Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, stands at the Convention Center – a towering metal spider paying tribute to her mother. The French artist’s family restored tapestries, drawing parallels between her mother’s work and a spider’s weaving. Walking beneath the sculpture reveals a sac filled with marble eggs. Though imposing in scale, the piece embodies protection rather than threat. In related works, Bourgeois described her mother as useful, intelligent, and protective – just like a spider.

I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt when I discovered the next sculpture. The installation at the Al-Thuraya Planetarium showed a heavenly body split in half. It’s a sculpture by the British artist Saad Qureshi titled ‘When The Moon Split’. The artist’s website describes the work as: “When the Moon Split takes as its starting point the Quranic story of a miracle performed by Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH).” (https://www.saadqureshi.com/)

‘Egal’ is one of the most dynamic of the outdoor sculptures in the city. Egal is a woven cord used to keep the head wrap in place worn by men. The work by the Qatari artist Shouq Al Mana, is located at Lusail Marina Promenade and serves as a tribute to Qatari history and tradition.

The city’s vibrant streetscape thrives with murals—each work contributing to Doha’s visual kaleidoscope. Several pieces can be found at the Doha Fire Station. From metro station walls to parks these works showcase both emerging talents and established artists.