New museum will also display ‘Pearl Carpet of Baroda’

“The National Museum will give visitors an unprecedented museum experience, with people at the heart of its vision and development,” the NMoQ director stressed. “Jean Nouvel’s dynamic architectural design echoes the geography of Qatar while evoking the history and culture of the nation.”

QM describes each gallery as “an all-encompassing environment,” which tells its part of the grand story through a creative combination of elements such as music, storytelling, archival images, oral histories and evocative aromas.

Local and international artists have been invited to create site-specific commissions, in response to the museum’s collection and as an enhancement of the exhibition experience.

Working with expert craftspeople from around the globe, Dr Exell said they created over 1,400 beautiful bespoke models for the museum: natural history, architectural, archaeological, document replicas, boat models, tactile models and models for children.

“We have over 150 extraordinary digital media productions embedded within the exhibits, contributing to the immersive and multi-layered experience. The productions were led by a local team and created by international digital creative,” she noted. “The artworks commissioned for the National Museum are equally integral to the experience.”

“I cannot think of a more moving and expressive way to show that NMoQ is the past fused with the present and future — a deeply rooted, immemorial culture and heritage joined with an exciting, contemporary, global experience,” Dr Exell added. “I am truly excited at the prospect of seeing all this come alive for the public in March.”

About data related to oral histories that feature heavily in the Museum, Dr Haya said they also worked with partners, including the Doha Film Institute, for more than five years to record these memories and preserve information about the country.

More than 70 films will be displayed through the museum galleries, bringing the displays of objects to life through shared memories of recent history. In all, more than 300 members of the public participated in the project.

“I cannot think of a more moving and expressive way to show that NMoQ is the past fused with the present and future — a deeply rooted, immemorial culture and heritage joined with an exciting, contemporary, global experience”