BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Rare artefacts from Greece dating back more than 2,000 years are featured at the ‘Olympics-Past & Present’ exhibition opening to the public tomorrow at the Al Riwaq Doha space on the Museum of Islamic Art grounds.
The Discus Thrower and the Charioteer of Delphi are only some of the famous statues that can be seen at the 4,000sqm exhibition space which showcases over 1,200 objects from various countries, most of which came from Greece, the cradle of the Olympics.
Organised by QMA’s Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum (QOSM), the exhibition showcases nearly 600 original artefacts from Greece, around 400 objects from the QOSM and QMA’s permanent collection and hundreds more from other countries including France, Germany and Italy.
Running until the end of June, the expo takes visitors on a journey through Olympics’ 2,700 years history from the ancient Olympia to the modern Olympic Games.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Kostas Tzavaras, Alternate Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports of Greece, said the exhibition was a product of combined efforts of various countries showing how sport can unite different cultures, adding it also serves as a bridge between Greece and Qatar since the two countries signed an agreement on cultural exchange early this year.
The ancient section of the exhibition provides visitors a glimpse of the sanctuary of Olympia with original statues, vases, and bronzes depicting athletes, athletic activities and other objects which carry the Olympic motif.
Some of the objects in this section, Tzavaras said, have been a product of latest excavations in Greece which have not been exhibited even in Greece. A highlight of the section is a replica of the Temple of Zeus where activities will be held throughout the duration of the expo.
A timeline takes visitors to the various periods from the rediscovery of Antiquity during the Renaissance leading to the reestablishment of the Olympic Games in the 19th century and their development to the present.
All the torches, posters, mascots, medals, programmes and tickets from the last 48 Winter and Summer Olympic Games are displayed in the modern section of the exhibition.
The values and rituals of the Olympics promoting peace and personal achievements, as well as the broader context of this mega event and its interrelationship with politics, environment, economics, social issues and doping are also highlighted in the exhibition.
The exhibition showcases 40 original films and images from all the Olympic Games and highlights the participation of Qatari athletes in these Games through a series of interviews with previous and current Qatari Olympians and Paralympians.
“For the first time, an exhibition showcases the cultural history of the ancient and modern Olympics on such a scale, not to mention a special section on Qatar’s participation in the world-class event,” said Dr. Christian Wacker, Director of QOSM.
“Partnering with the Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum to organise the “Olympics — Past & Present” exhibition in Doha provides a great opportunity to emphasise both tradition and sports — two critical values shared by the State of Qatar and ExxonMobil,” said Alistair Routledge, Vice President of ExxonMobil Qatar, sponsors of the expo.
For the next three months, the expo will offer gallery lectures, a theatre performance, a film festival and a family fun day. The gallery lectures will cover topics on ancient and modern Olympic Games. Next month, Qatari athletes Nada Wafa Arkaji and Ibrahim Ismail will speak about their experience as Olympic athletes. The classical Greek play “Medea” by Euripides will be performed from April 11 to 13 at the exhibition venue. In addition there will be a family day on April 19 set to offer fun activities and competitions for all ages.
