From Mexico City to Santiago to Beijing, Years of Culture initiative outlines summer programme

Qatar's Year of Culture (YoC) initiative is currently running a rich summer of international exhibitions in Mexico, Chile, and China, showcasing the country's creative partnerships worldwide. The programme emphasizes building lasting relationships through cultural understanding.

In Mexico City, two exhibitions explore football's role in shaping culture and identity. "Pieces of Glory: Iconic Moments in Football History" at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum and Museo Jumex traces football's history through iconic objects linked to players such as Pele and Diego Maradona. Meanwhile, "Towards Glory: The Legacy of Qatar 2022" at the Centre for Digital Culture delves into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, featuring archives, photographs, multimedia installations, personal testimonies, and tournament memorabilia.

In Santiago, Chile, the focus shifts to the aftermath of official cultural partnerships. The exhibition "Our Ghosts, Your Ghosts: Promising Visions for a Radical Cinema" at Centro Cultural La Moneda examines memory, displacement, identity, and belonging through films and video works by artists from the Arab world, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

In Beijing, "Nomadic Life Reimagined" at the National Museum of China delves into Qatar's Bedouin and semi-nomadic heritage from the 18th century to the discovery of oil. Objects, photographs, films, and oral histories showcase traditional skills like tentmaking, Al Sadu weaving, relationships with animals, and desert survival knowledge.

The Year of Culture initiative, which began in 2012, has expanded to various fields, including exhibitions, heritage, design, photography, cinema, sport, education, and community programs. Its impact extends beyond each designated year through new relationships, projects, and opportunities that arise.