ACCIONA Cultura has designed the museography works and will be responsible for the maintenance of the Experience Al Jazeera exhibition for Qatar Museums which celebrates Al Jazeera’s 25th anniversary.
To deliver the exhibition, ACCIONA Cultura brought together an international team of 80 specialists including creative professionals, architects, engineers, designers, fit-out subcontractors, media producers, lighting specialists, object mounting specialists, AV specialists, metal specialists, graphic designers and installers. They worked together to showcase Al Jazeera (AJ) from its beginning to the present time.
The exhibition, which occupies an area of 780 m2 plus 125 m2 in the courtyard of the Fire Station in Doha, traces the evolution of the Al Jazeera Media Network into a global news powerhouse. The design is a walk through the 25-year history of the TV channel from its beginnings until its present-day multi-media offerings. The exhibition displays objects related to broadcast technology, such as cameras. It also displays Al Jazeera’s Wall of Ethics and the awards it has won over the years.
The exhibition is divided into six sections: Experience Al Jazeera; The Right to Report; People-Focused Stories; News production; Growth and Expansion and Al Jazeera, 25 years on. Every section displays original pieces, which are combined with 25 audiovisual productions in total.
Other projects in the Middle East
ACCIONA Cultura has a strong presence in the Museums, Exhibitions and Events sector in the Middle East. In Qatar, ACCIONA Cultura has undertaken the museography works, fit-out and MEP for the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to Olympics and sport. AC has also been responsible for 150 media productions for the National Museum of Qatar; the museum development and implementation of Msheireb Museums, and the production of various temporary exhibitions for Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art and the Orientalist Museum.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, ACCIONA Cultura has worked for the National Museum of Oman, the Dubai Expo 2020 (designing and producing the Sustainability Pavilion, UAE Pavilion, Spain Pavilion, Youth Pavilion, Expo Live Pavilion, 46 Thematic Pavilions and Micro-museums) the Al Shindagha Museum in Dubai, and the Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.
ACCIONA Cultura is also active in events management, having staged the inauguration ceremony for the Laffan 2 refinery in Qatar and the international presentation of the Katara Plaza project, a commercial, cultural and leisure complex in Doha’s cultural village.
Fire Station
The Fire Station is a world-class artist residency programme for residents of Qatar designed to nurture, energize and promote the country’s artistic and creative community, and enrich the art scene in Qatar. Founded in 2015 and located in a fire station repurposed by Qatari architect Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah, the Fire Station offers a nine-month programme for creatives across all disciplines, enabling young artists to cultivate their talent through production support, curatorial advice, and expert mentorships. During the residency, artists engage with professionals from all over the world who recognize Qatar as a growing centre of artistic talent and creativity. Over the past six years, the programme has welcomed 92 artists and expanded its duration to include a three-month stint at the prestigious Cite Internationale des Art in Paris and New York City at Studio 209 NY, which is part of the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP).
The Fire Station includes extensive studio spaces, a theatre, the popular restaurant Café #999, a bookshop, an art supply shop, and gallery spaces presenting inspiring local and international exhibitions. The Fire Station has also hosted world-class exhibitions organized by Qatar Museums within its expansive Garage Gallery, including Picassos Studios (2020), KAWS: He Eats Alone (2019) curated by renown art historian Germano Celant, Kazimir Malevich: Genius of the Russian Avant-garde (2019), Russian Avant-garde Pioneers and Direct Descendants (2018), Laundromat by Ai Weiwei (2018), German Encounters – Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection (2017), and Picasso-Giacometti (2017). The Fire Station is headed by Director Khalifa Ahmad Al Obaidly, the renowned Qatari photographer.
About Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves, restores, and expands the nation’s cultural offerings and historical sites, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors. Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond.
QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, educate and encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, which is currently under development. Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design M7—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
