November 2021
Qatar-US Year of Culture
Every year, Qatar Museums collaborates with a country to run a cultural exchange programme that conveys Qatar’s culture to an international audience and introduces new cultures to Qatar. The yearlong programme promotes mutual understanding, recognition and appreciation between the countries through a variety of exhibitions, festivals, competitions and events.
The 2021 Year of Culture is taking place between Qatar and the United States of America, marking the 10th edition of Qatar’s Year of Culture programme. These two countries enjoy a longstanding relationship, which is being both celebrated and deepened through this cultural collaboration. Some of the events that have taken place include fashion talks, film screenings, art exhibitions, public art installations, photography exchanges, a food festival and a series of mural projects.
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One of the most recent collaborations was the creation of a mural by Qatari artist Mubarak Al Thani and American artist Wes Wong, which was erected in the Mission District neighbourhood of San Francisco.
With the use of colourful paints and abstract shapes, Mubarak recreated buildings from the iconic Doha skyline. The Zig Zag Towers and Qatar Foundation’s ‘2015’ building found new homes in the mural alongside iconic landmarks from San Francisco, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the famously crooked Lombard Street.
Of his experience, Mubarak says, “regardless of all the challenges, San Francisco has been phenomenal. A super supportive and diverse team. I could not have asked for a better cultural experience. Wishing this Year of Culture the very best!”
