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We caught up with Othman Khunji, an interdisciplinary artist originally from Bahrain who now resides in Doha. His creative output consists of a variety of interactive installations centered on social justice in the Gulf and the broader MENA region. In this guide, he shares with us his favourite places to engage in culture and creative spaces in Doha, the city he has called home for more than ten years.
Art Center in Doha
“It's a building that has become a cultural hub today for huge exhibitions like the Christian Dior and Valentino. Vogue Arabia has an office there, it's a big building that has a lot of offices for different, entrepreneurial projects. It is located in the Doha design district.”
Museum in Doha
“It's in the top two museums I would really really recommend anyone who visits to go. The whole structure looks like a gigantic Desert Rose. It was designed by Jean Nouvel, a French architect. He was inspired by a desert rose, which is a natural occurrence that is created from scratch, naturally in the desert, from the different winds and crystallization of the sand. For someone to create a whole building that looks like that is very iconic. And the way the museum preserves and showcases the Gulf and Qatari culture, is on a whole other level."
Sculpture in Doha
“So this is super cool. You might think it's something that's small, but it's huge and they're a bunch of them in different orientations. It's just very whimsical, playful for people to go and enjoy and and start talking about what they mean, what are their interpretations of it, which is what art is. It's allows you to just think for a second in a non-didactic way, where it's just very fluid and open for everybody to have their own thoughts.”
Sculpture in Doha
“It's something I would definitely tell people to check out. An amazing art installation in the middle of the Zekrete desert by Richard Serra, an American sculptor. Imagine driving out to the desert and then you'd see these giant installation of walls hanging out and you could drive between them and walk between them. So that in itself is quite a monumental, and an iconic thing. You can go with your car, but it has to be a four wheel because of the nature of the place.”
Neighborhood in Doha
“Ok this is easy. Definitely one of the top three areas I would recommend anyone who visits to stay. The whole area is very very upcoming now. Souq Waqif (also on my list), which is this beautiful and modern interpretation of the old market is also located here in Msheireb."
Hotel in Doha
“It's located at Msheireb, which is very upcoming now with all these top notch hotels including the Mandarin Oriental Doha.”
Design Institute in Doha
“A whole area on its own with exhibitions, it's one of the city's main creative hub, and it's very activated. There's a lot of hotels, restaurants. It's a very active neighbourhood.”
Stadium in Doha
“The design reflects the hand-crafted bowls found all across the Arab and Islamic world during the rise of civilisation, while interplays of light mirror the fanar lanterns of the region. With the passing of time, the golden exterior will fade replicating aged metal handicrafts to create a venue alive with cultural character.”
Airport in Doha
“The Doha airport is actually now called like a museum, because you walk around the airport and you see all these sculptures. Some of them are functional, some of them are like playgrounds, while others are just to be observed from far away. You have a lot of big names all under one roof in an airport, an area that people might be transiting might be traveling, but you even get to have a different experience. It's definitely not a typical to just stand in line and get your ticket. It's more of a 'let me look around, let me be inquisitive, learn more about art' kind of airport.”
“A great area I recommend people to stay in is West Bay. It's very central, it's great. So Lusail Marina, Msheireb, the Pearl, and West Bay are my top four areas, nowhere else.”
Bahraini Artist based in Doha
Here's a short clip of Othman by Minute 49, showcasing his interdisciplinary skills and featured projects.
