Hamad International Airport Celebrates Creativity on World Art Day

Hamad International Airport (HIA) celebrated World Art Day by organizing a community engagement initiative with Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) students. The initiative was aimed at spreading awareness on creative activity across the globe.

As part of the occasion, a group of 26 VCUarts Qatar students drew inspiration from the iconic Lamp Bear art piece to produce a charcoal drawing, representing the artwork from their unique perspectives. The drawings will be produced into a GIF (graphics interchange format) and will be promoted across HIA media channels.

Abdulaziz Abdulla Al-Mass, VP Marketing and Corporate Communications at HIA commented: “We are happy to host Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar  students in HIA and witness their creativity in play. Creative thinking and innovation are integral parts of art and are key drivers in the global dialogue. The airport opens its doors to art lovers, inviting them to enhance, and get inspired by the passenger experience at HIA.”

Jesse Payne, Art Foundation Assistant Professor at VCUarts Qatar added: “World Art Day marks an important event for VCUarts Qatar and our students. We are delighted to take part in promoting creative thinking across Qatar and the globe. We thank HIA for providing an inspirational platform for our students to be inspired and contribute towards social advancements through articulation and cooperation. This portrays the essence of art and highlights its core values. We are very excited to share our art with passengers and engage the community in our process."

Arts and culture form a major pillar of HIA’s foundation, and it is deeply rooted across the airport’s premises. The airport focuses its efforts on enriching its environment by highlighting and promoting Qatar’s traditions and culture. HIA also provides passengers with a fascinating selection of art, curated in partnership with Qatar Museums. Recently, HIA in partnership with Qatar Museums launched ‘Cosmos’ by Jean-Michel Othoniel which draws inspiration from an artefact located in the collection at the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, the oldest surviving Islamic astrolabe in the world. Qatar’s airport also features the 32 feet tall wooden marionette iconic artwork, ‘SMALL LIE’ sculpture, by American artist and designer KAWS who was inspired by his relationship to wooden toys growing up. The HIA art portfolio extends to more than 20 permanent pieces catering to different passengers. HIA will continue to invest its efforts towards art and culture to redefine the airport experience for the millions of travellers passing through the terminal.