Developing a Cultural Infrastructure: The Third Line Gallery in Doha, Qatar

Reem Fekri

shirin neshatIt is safe to assume that a cultural infrastructure is materializing within the Gulf, but in the reverse of the traditional trajectory. Negar Azimi from Bidoun magazine argued that typically, a city would have art schools, curators, critics and artists and have a small yet sustainable cultural infrastructure to support it. However, the reverse is happening in the Gulf region. With a small amount of art schools, galleries and further arts education, the current ‘bottom up’ activity is minimal. The Gulf has produced few artists and few art schools. Yet, huge amounts are being spent on flagship museums designed by ‘starchitects,’ and a cultural regeneration process is well underway. It is questionable how this would eventually pan out and whether or not it is sustainable in the long run.

It appears that the Third Line Gallery is attempting to work from the bottom up. By representing Arab artists from the region as well as having non-profit alternative educational and independent projects on the go, they are integrating local artists from the into the contemporary art market.

Claudia Cellini, the co-director of the Third Line Gallery, emphasizes the need for artistic programming and the importance a sustainable cultural infrastructure – yet she argues that there is a disproportional amount of people who want to "play and trade versus the number of people who want to read and think." A decision to expand to Doha was made, with the notion of developing links to Doha’s already established arts institutions (such as the Arab Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) as well as maximizing exposure to the thirty artists that the gallery currently represents.

Souq Watif was reconstructed in 2004, in an effort to preserve Qatar’s historical heritage and Middle Eastern artistic traditions, and was developed under the guidance of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The souq houses a variety of galleries as well as a bookstore and an art consulting company.

The Third Line Gallery has recently established a second space in this newly renovated Souq Waqif. Earlier this year, on May 8th 2008 the Third Line, Doha held a debut-opening exhibition by photographer Youssef Nabil. Nabil’s well-recognized subjects such as Tracy Emin, Nan Golding and Kate Moss are photographed in black and white and painstakingly hand painted with dull, pastel-colored tones.

Cellini asserts that their interest is in developing art in the region of Qatar. She is intrigued by the cultural events in the area through the development of artistic institutions that promote visibility, which she argues offers an international caliber of programming and indirectly develops the art market. By working with and developing the already existing cultural infrastructure as the gallery had in Dubai, it seeks to do the same in Doha. Whilst Doha has witnessed several setbacks that have marred the development of museums, the souq’s recent exceptional turnouts seek to turn these setbacks around.

Evidently, arts and cultural activity have become an increasingly important part of urban regeneration in Britain – such as the Tate Modern in London’s Southbank – and strategies such as these can be applied on a global scale. With increasing interests in art programs – such as educational and participatory, which are cost effective, can be adapted to local needs. Art programs have been proven to enhancing local image, building private/public sector partnerships, social cohesion and promoting interest in local environments. The opening up of this new space will hopefully change the amount of people who want to play and trade versus the number of people who want to read and think.

Photo Credits:
Copyright Youssef Nabil - Shirin Neshat / New York, 2004

 

 

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