n society, public art works to express a mutual community value. To this effect, the Qatar Museums Authority disclosed the “East-West/West-East” art project by Richard Serra in the Brouq Nature Reserve. Serra has had a good relationship with Qatar since he was given freedom to do what he wanted by funding him and allowing him to select the sites. Hence, this paper aims at explaining my visit to the “East-West/West-East” sculpture, and how the work is framed as viewed through Bal’s curatorial intervention.
My Visit to the “East-West/West-East” Sculpture
I visited the “East-West/West-East” art project in the afternoon but the place was characterized by sandstorms and was too hot leading to high temperatures. Similarly, the wind was quite strong, but the place being a desert, was mysterious. It took me about an hour to arrive there having come from Doha. There were many people but I was able to have a clear view. The project has four steel plates progressively positioned and standing perpendicular to the earth.
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How the “East-West/West-East” Sculpture is Framed
The biography of the artist plays part in an exhibition by having their person in the composition. 1 In this case, Richard Serra is present in the “East-West/West-East” sculpture because he likes taking sculptures off podiums and into the streets like the Tilted Arc at the U.S. Federal Plaza. Consequently, he took this project to the desert as opposed to having it in a museum. Similarly, the artwork is framed through its eye-catching aesthetics by having the four metal pillars observable from any point in the scene. Bal holds that respecting a predetermined spacing is in line with the aesthetics of a given art. 2 Therefore, the arrangement shows the huge distance that the pillars span, probably more than a kilometer from each other. Regarding thematics, reiteration of themes is not prudent in public art. As such, Richard Serra just presents his project and leaves people to react by themselves. He is not of the idea of spoon feeding the addressees because he might tell them something, but they would end up finding out what is suitable for them and their situations.
Conclusion
The “East-West/West-East” art project is fascinating despite being located in a desert. Being a public art, the sculpture is framed through the artist’s thematics, biography, and aesthetics. Nevertheless, my visit was characterized by sandstorms, high temperatures, and wind.
Bibliography
Bal, Mieke. n.d. "Exposing the Public". A Companion to Museum Studies, 525-542. Accessed November 14. doi:10.1002/9780470996836.ch32.
1 Bal, Mieke. n.d. "Exposing the Public". A Companion to Museum Studies, 525-542. Accessed November 12. doi:10.1002/9780470996836.ch32.
2 Ibid
