First Katara Global Art Fair to help build cultural centres in Argentina
The event aims to introduce collective and solo projects of leading and emerging local and international artists
PALLAS Arts, Qatar’s first registered arts brokerage, is organising a contemporary art fair in partnership with Katara Cultural Village that will provide a platform for local and international artists, as well as help build cultural centres in Argentina.
The country’s major gathering of contemporary artists billed ‘Katara Global Art Fair (KatArt)’ will take place in October and aims to introduce collective and solo projects of leading and emerging local and international artists.
Pallas Arts was launched in Doha in February, 2019, aimed at bringing artworks and exhibitions to Qatar through local collaborations as well as to aspire to use art, auctions and exhibitions to support charitable and humanitarian projects in Qatar and overseas.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Pallas Arts CEO Mariame Farqane said that for its pilot project, Pallas Arts intends to build cultural centres in Argentina through collaboration with Argentina-based Margarita Barrientos Foundation, which helps more than 8,000 children from poor families in two Argentine provinces by providing them with food, health care and education on daily basis.
“We created Pallas Arts to independently finance the cultural centre Bab’El Institute. Before opening our own cultural centre, we are collaborating with different countries. This year, we are collaborating with Argentina.
We are helping them build cultural centres for those children along with implementing a novel education system, which is going to be our pilot project this year with Argentina”, said Farqane.
KatArt’s first edition will offer an ideal platform for interaction among collectors, artists, photographers, designers and other art professionals. The art fair will feature live performances in addition to the exhibition of numerous paintings, sculptures, photographs, among many other art pieces.
Farqane also announced that a preview of the first edition of KatArt in Doha will be hosted in Katara Building 19 from January 17 to January 22, featuring works of local and international artists such as from the US, France, Spain, UK, India and the Philippines. The event, she said, will serve as the official introduction and announcement of the grand event in October.
Commenting on the initiative, Ambassador of Argentina to Qatar HE Carlos Hernandez said, “This new project is innovative and shows clear commitment to art, education and solidarity. We are lucky enough to be the first country to collaborate with Pallas Arts. It seems that the event will be an annual affair in support of other countries as well.”
Darwish S Ahmed al Shebani of Katara Cultural Village Foundation said, “At Katara, throughout the years, we have been having exhibitions on different levels. This time, it’s a project where we take it to the next level. It’s going to be an art affair rather than a mere exhibition of art.”
Also present at the press conference were Margarita Barrientos Foundation Director Facundo Chadini and Outbox CEO Hamzah Taleb.