Diplomatic World_nummer 55

© Embassy of Qatar
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How do you see the soft power of cultural
diplomacy as an effective tool for Qatar to address
an international audience, both in Qatar as abroad
by its diplomatic services?
Art becomes a very important part of our national identity;
every child is born an artist. Children think creativity
and by exposing them to an arts education and cultural
institutions from a young age, it nurtures innate talent.
So our objective is not to turn every Qatari into an artist,
but rather to enrich their lives with the history of art and
the ability to be creative. This would help each person in
their future career, even if it is non-arts related. Art is a tool,
another language that brings people together and creates a
space for innovation and expression.
Nowadays, Cultural Diplomacy is regarded as a tool to
form bridges and interactions within cultures, transcending
national and cultural boundaries. Art is very powerful
because it has no boundaries and you don’t need to belong
to any country or religion or social class. It brings people
from all walks of life together to talk about an idea. Being
the perfect bridge for East and West, Qatar will continue to
foster this concept on a daily basis.
Motivated by this spirit, Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa
bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (34-years-old) started
buying Western modern and contemporary art that will
adorn the different museums Qatar is creating from scratch
in the desert. The Museum of Islamic Art (inaugurated in
2008) was designed to ensure the link between ancient and
contemporary art. Open since 2010, the Arab Museum of
Modern Art focuses on regional artists and art practices
and an important portion of the Western collection will also
become a part of the new contemporary art institution.