Qatari authorities have apprehended those involved in vandalising the iconic 'East West/West East' installation by internationally acclaimed artist Richard Serra, Qatar Museums (QM) posted on its Facebook page.
According to QM, the incident took place on December 28 and “the vandals were apprehended by authorities, and referred to Public Prosecution for the necessary legal action to be taken against them.”
QM highlighted the importance of protecting and preserving public art and stressed that “vandalism of all kinds is a crime punishable by law, and Qatar Museums emphasises our collective social responsibility to preserve public art.”
As part of its anti-vandalism campaign launched in September last year aimed at protecting Qatar’s public art, QM carried out a clean-up operation to restore Serra’s installation after it was defaced by tags, scratches, and other markings.
A specialised team removed all markings drawn on Serra’s stunning artwork in the Brouq nature reserve in Zekreet. The installation, which spans more than a kilometre and comprises four steel plates, has become a major tourism attraction in the country.
According to QM, each of the steel plates stands over 14m in height, standing in stark contrast to the topography of the land and the desolate space in the heart of the desert.
Serra’s installation is one of the public artworks being promoted by Visit Qatar, the official social media tourism account of the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), for residents and visitors to explore, marking the Qatar–US Year of Culture 2021.
To further boost its anti-vandalism campaign, QM, in collaboration with government and non governmental organisations, is eyeing to put up surveillance measures to monitor and protect public art in Qatar.
QM installed anti-vandalism signage at Zekreet “to encourage the wider community to share in the responsibility to take ownership of our public art.”
“East-West/West-East is one of many awe-inspiring public artworks by renowned artists including Damien Hirst, El Seed, Louise Bourgeois and Subodh Gupta, which can be found dotted across the city, taking art beyond four walls and breathing life into shared spaces,” QM posted on Facebook.
Four road signs were also installed at Zekreet to ensure that all rules are outlined explicitly, in addition to educating the community on public art and its significance – “a fundamental part of Qatar’s cultural life.”
QM is also planning to distribute learning materials for students and families about Qatar’s public art and the first set of materials will be released very soon.
