Museum of Islamic Art, Seashore Group restore Richard Serra sculpture
- 3 years ago
The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), in co-operation with the Seashore Group, recently carried out a clean-up operation to restore international artist Richard Sierra’s "7" sculpture, located at MIA Park along the Corniche.
Commenting on the restoration works, Ahmad Musa al-Namla, CEO of Qatar Museums, said: “Public art is one of Qatar Museums’ main pillars in which we aim to expand the traditional mission of museums by taking art beyond four walls and breathing life into shared urban spaces. Richard Serra’s installation celebrates the significance of the number seven in Islamic culture and is considered to be his first artwork in the Middle East. We are pleased to co-operate with the Seashore Group to clean this striking sculpture.”
Salem Saadi al-Mohannadi, CEO of Seashore Group, said: “By cleaning the ‘7’ sculpture at the Museum of Islamic Art Park, we are pleased to contribute to the preservation of public artworks in Qatar – a project that falls within the framework of our company's corporate social responsibility programme. The Museum of Islamic Art has many partnerships that aim to further enrich Qatar’s thriving cultural landscape and enhance the role of the private sector in transforming Qatar into a vital centre for arts and culture in the region.”
Qatar Museums commissioned Serra to create the “7” sculpture following a personal recommendation from I M Pei, who designed the iconic Museum of Islamic Art building. The installation, consisting of seven steel sheets each 24m in height, took approximately three years to complete. The sculpture was officially unveiled in 2011.
Serra’s installation is the result of a collaboration between Qatar Museums and local and international artists to add vibrancy to public spaces in Qatar and enrich the lives of residents and visitors.
The Seashore Group supports the efforts of Qatar Museums to create a sustainable cultural infrastructure. The company sponsored the museum’s educational activities between 2019 and 2020. Seashore Group, in partnership with Qatar Museums and Al Shamal Municipality, is currently participating in a campaign to clean beaches in heritage villages across Qatar.
For more information on the “7” sculpture and public artworks in Qatar, one can visit www.qm.org.qa
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