Photo by Abdul Basit © The Peninsula
Doha: Six vandals have been apprehended by authorities over the last 2 months and legal procedures are in process against them for vandalising "East West/West East" sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist, Richard Serra.
Qatar Museums said in post on social media that over the last 2 months, security have patrolled the area and are reporting incidents to the police.
Vandalism of all kinds is a crime punishable by law, and Qatar Museums emphasized “our collective social responsibility to preserve public art.” Qatar Museums recently carried out a clean-up operation to restore Serra’s sculpture after it was defaced.
Spanning over a kilometre and comprising four steel plates, the sculpture has become a major attraction for art enthusiasts and tourists alike. The unique sculpture is an imposing structure as each of the four plates stands over 14 metres in height in stark contrast to the topography of the land and the desolate space in the heart of the desert.
In September last year, Qatar Museums launched an anti-vandalism campaign aimed towards protecting and preserving installations across the country, encouraging the wider community to share in the responsibility to take ownership of the public art.
As part of the campaign, Qatar Museums installed anti-vandalism signage at the location of Richard Serra’s installation at the Brouq nature reserve in Zekreet. The signage, installed in collaboration with Ashghal, serves to educate the community on what constitutes vandalism of public art: drawing, marking, spray painting, scratching, or any other act that damages or defaces an installation.
