The Power of Culture

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency is joined by Rana Beiruti, the curator of Arab Design Now, the headline exhibition at Design Doha.

An architect, independent curator and cultural programmer based in Amman, Jordan, Rana Beiruti co-founded the biennial Amman Design Week, in 2015, and acted as its director until 2021. From 2014–2019 she was the Director of The Lab, an experimental art space at Darat al Funun – The Khalid Shoman Foundation, where she curated a program that offered residencies and learning opportunities to emerging artists. Rana championed the management and organization of Darat al Funun’s archive of 30 years of history in the arts, making the information accessible to researchers on-site and to the public online. 

Beiruti discusses curating the groundbreaking survey of Arab design talent for the Design Doha Biennale, focusing on storytelling, inclusivity, and representing the current design landscape in the Arab world. She highlights the efforts to reconnect with tradition and history in Arab design regionally, and within the platform offered by Design Doha.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

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A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency hosts Aisha Al Sowaidi, the director of Liwan Design Studios and Labs, an incubator for Doha-based creatives.

A native Qatari, Al Sowaidi is a multidisciplinary designer based in Doha. She incorporates old experiences and behaviours with contemporary design in objects used within the house. She also brings the modern city closer to the home through the use of materials inspired by the city. Her work has been included at the London Design Biennale 2018 and is also displayed at the National Museum of Qatar.

AL Sowaidi shares her process and approach to design, as well as her experience generating ideas and producing objects locally and abroad. She also discusses the importance of creatives acting now to be part of the growing Arab design scene.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency hosts Massimiliano Gioni, Artistic Director of both the New Museum in New York and the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan.

Gioni is an Italian curator and contemporary art critic. For Qatar Museums, he curated Murakami-Ego by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, in 2012, the major Jeff Koons exhibition Lost in America, in 2021, and, most recently, the spectacular fashion-house survey show Forever Valentino at M7, in Msheireb, in 2022.

The discussion explores the relationship between art and fashion, and the role of cultural institutions in showcasing fashion exhibitions and engaging audiences with art collections. He also shares insights about his latest exhibitions, including "Forever Valentino" at M7 in Doha. 

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency welcomes Artistic Director of Design Doha, Dr Glenn Adamson.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Glenn Adamson is a curator, writer, and historian. He has previously served as Director of New York’s Museum of Arts and Design and Head of Research at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. He is the author of numerous books including 'Fewer, Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects' (2018); 'Objects: USA 2020'; and 'Craft: An American History' (2021).

The conversation centres on the inaugural Doha Design Biennale, its significance in showcasing Qatar as a burgeoning design destination, and the convergence of architecture, design, and craft in the region. There's also a focus on the importance of craft and artisanal work in contemporary design, highlighting the value of traditional techniques in modern contexts.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency is joined by the German scholar and the Director of the Museum of Islamic Art Dr. Julia Gonnella.

Before joining the Museum of Islamic Art in 2017, Dr Gonnella worked in the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin. She has also authored or edited tens of books and articles and taught at Berlin and Bamberg Universities.

The discussion revolves around the newly renovated Museum of Islamic Art and the exhibition 'Baghdad: Eye’s Delight' as well as other noteworthy galleries on religion, the history of the Quran, and the Islamic world. 

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency hosts Washington based Qatari-American artist, writer, and filmmaker, Sophia Al Maria.

She has held solo shows at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (2016), Tate Britain in London (2019), and Garage in Moscow (2021), among others. In the fall of 2022 she had a major show at Mathaf in Doha. Her memoir, The Girl Who Fell to Earth (2012), was published by HarperCollins.

Sophia shares how the formative experience she had working at Mathaf's library, and discusses her past and present exhibitions and artistic practice, which often explore themes of labor, environment, language, and community.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

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A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency is joined by Zeina Arida, the Director of MATHAF: Arab Museum of Modern Art, in Doha.

Zeina is an expert in Arab art, culture, and heritage, specialising in photography, archives, and modern and contemporary art. She sits on the scientific committee guiding Qatar’s forthcoming Art Mill Museum. 

Throughout the episode, Arida emphasises on the connection between culture and politics, and the role that museums and exhibitions play in raising awareness and addressing important issues. She also discusses the exhibitions that have opened in 2022 at MATHAF, including collaborations with other institutions and solo shows by important regional artists.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

In this episode, Her Excellency welcomes Swiss architect, Jacques Herzog, one of the two founders of the Herzog & de Meuron practice.

In 2001, Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest honour in architecture. The practice is designing the forthcoming Lusail Museum in Doha.

In their discussion, Herzog shared his unique approach to architecture and the inspiration he draws from local materials and the cultural context of the location.

The Power of Culture Podcast is a Qatar Creates production.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of conversations with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and people who have been part of Qatar’s architecture & culture development journey.

H.E. is the chairperson of the Qatar Museums, the Doha Film Institute and the creative hubs.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.