Qatar Museums Opens Jeff Koons: Lost in America

Doha, November 21 (QNA) - Qatar Museums opened Sunday to the public Jeff Koons: Lost in America at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq, the expansive exhibition space located in Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park.
On view through 31 March 2022 and organized by renowned curator Massimiliano Gioni, Koons's first exhibition in the Gulf region provides a unique view into his exceptional career as one of the best-known contemporary artists, whose work bridges Pop, Minimalism and the readymade. Jeff Koons: Lost in America is part of #QatarCreates 2021, two weeks of cultural exchange, dialogue and collaboration at the forefront of art, architecture, fashion, design, and digital culture, as well as the Qatar-United States 2021 Year of Culture, an international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.
Lost in America presents a portrait of American culture as seen through Koons's autobiography, beginning with his childhood in suburban Pennsylvania. The exhibition features more than sixty artworks drawn from Koons's four-decade-long career and is divided into 16 galleries, each introduced by an autobiographical text by the artist, emphasizing his memories, influences and fascination with American visual culture. Conceived as an expansive self-portrait, the exhibition also includes sculptures and paintings with mesmerizing, mirrored surfaces that reflect the viewers and call attention to notions of self-transformation and becoming.
On the occasion of the opening, Jeff Koons: Lost in America is made accessible beyond the four walls of QM Gallery Al Riwaq through a collaboration between Qatar Museums, Ooredoo Group, Qatar's leading telecommunications provider, and Snap Inc., founder of social media platform Snapchat. A selection of artworks will be brought to life using augmented reality (AR) and leveraging the power of 5G connectivity. Snapchat users will be able to view artworks through the app at specific Ooredoo 5G-enabled locations.
HE Sheikha Reem Al-Thani, Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing, Qatar Museums, said: "Qatar Museums is pleased to organize and present Jeff Koons: Lost in America, providing our community and visitors to Doha with access to Koons's first exhibition in the Gulf region. Part of Qatar Museums' mission is to encourage cultural exchange and dialogue through the presentations of many of the world's most influential artists. This exhibition a highlight of Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture offers a unique view of Koons's artworks that are an often-playful reflection of his observations and commentary on American culture." "I am honored as an American artist to represent my country during the Year of Culture between Qatar and the United States. I have had amazing opportunities over the last two decades to visit Qatar, seeing its sites and cultural institutions and meeting some of its people," stated Jeff Koons. "For me, it's a dream come true for this exhibition to be part of the cultural exchange between Qatar and the United States. I am very grateful to Qatar Museums for inviting me to participate."