Baghdad: Eye’s Delight art exhibition opens in Qatar
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser during the opening of Baghdad: Eye’s Delight. Photo: Museum of Islamic Art
Doha (IraqiNews.com) – An art show called Baghdad: Eye’s Delight explores Baghdad’s rich history as both the capital of the great Abbasid caliphs (750–1258 CE) and of the 20th century, when the discovery of oil brought about a new era of prosperity for the capital city of Iraq. The art show takes place between October 26th to February 25th 2023 in the recently restored Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, Qatar.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation opened the Baghdad: Eye’s Delight exhibition on October 25th 2022.
The exhibition opening also featured high profile visitors including Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Al Mayassa Al Thani, Palestinian model Bella Hadid, British model Naomi Campbell, and Somali/Ethiopian model Chanel Ayan.
– Baghdad: Eye’s Delight –
The art exhibit emphasizes Baghdad’s status as a city of wealth, learning, and power by taking spectators on a journey through the centuries.
The rise of contemporary industry in the 20th century is also explored, as well as Baghdad’s trade and industry throughout the Abbasid era.
The exhibition journey comes to a finish with a look at the city’s social structure, its multicultural population, and its various traditions, which have repeatedly allowed Baghdad to flourish despite years of conflict and tragedy.
Iconic Iraqi artists were featured at the exhibition including Jewad Saleem, Dia Azzawi, and Hayv Kahraman, among others.
The Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Benaki Museum, the Vatican, and the Barjeel Foundation are just a few of the 22 notable organizations that have loaned artifacts for the show, according to the Museum of Islamic Art. These consist of artifacts, images, and video.
The exhibition Baghdad: Eye’s Delight is co-curated by Dr. Julia Gonnella, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art, and the curatorial staff of the institution, which includes Dr. Mounia Chekhab Abudaya, Dr. Tara Desjardins, Dr. Nicoletta Fazio, and Simone Struth.
Baghdad: Eye’s Delight is one of several events planned as part of Qatar-MENASA 2022 Year of Culture.