The Majlis: a Meeting Place at Qatar National Museum
The Majlis: A Meeting Place
travalling exhibition, 2022/23
Website, identity, book, exhibition
Majlis مجلس stands for a place to receive guests. It is also a word for assembly. Majlis embodies the bridge between the personal and the public. It is a space of hospitality that preserves the tradition and nurtures the sprouts of new communality.
The Majlis: A Meeting Place is a multi-layered project that comprises an architectural object, an exhibition, and a public program. Its initial unveiling was at the 2021 Venice Biennale, where The Majlis was installed on the grounds of the San Giorgio Maggiore Monastery. The project continues with the exhibition held at the National Museum of Qatar, including the buildings of the Old Amiri Palace.
The Majlis structure was originally built using textiles and bamboo by two teams of specialists in Colombia and Morocco. In the current iteration of The Majlis: A Meeting Place exhibition, we include the work of local Qatari artisans. Al Sadu weavers produced over 360 square metres of textiles for the walls, doors, and roof of the construction as well as eight special symbolic rugs — two for each entrance.
The Majlis is surrounded by a garden that brings together herbs and edible plants mentioned in the Quran, twenty different kinds of palms, and Sidra trees, which are known as emblematic plants of Qatar. All the plants in the garden come from the Heenat Salma Farm and the soil they grow in has been specially prepared with the use of local organic compost.
Organisers: Caravane Earth Foundation
Qatar National Museum https://majlis.caravane.earth
Architects: Simón Vélez, Stefana Simic
Art direction and Exhibition Design : Igor Garin, Galya Larina
Editorial: Lesia Prokopenko, Ben Wheeler, Youcef Baaloudj (translation to arabic)
Project Managers: Bachir Mohamad, Rasima Isaeva
Photography and Videography: Jörg Gruber, Edwin Krieg, Ganna Ostapenko, Nina Guseva, Ernest Yakovlev
Artist: Irini Gonou, Noof Al-Naama
Textile Development Team:
Hamad Al Henzab, Farah Al Yasin, Rasima Isaeva, Nina Mohammad-Galbert
Garden Design: Soumia Masmoudi
Vision and Strategy: Fahad bin Mohammed Al Attiyah