Qatar Museums has selected the installation “Plantoir, Blue” to be displayed at Expo 2023 Doha at Al Bidda Park as part of its ongoing initiative to nurture Qatar’s thriving cultural landscape.

The French noun ‘Plantoir’ is a pointed hand tool for making holes in the ground for seeds or young plants. In the hands of American Pop Art master Claes Oldenburg (with his partner Coosje van Bruggen), this whimsical, oversized gardener’s trowel titled “Plantoir, Blue” was designed specifically for outdoor viewing in a garden setting on a giant scale but retains a lightness of touch as though casually dropped into the ground and left alongside an unplanted flower bed. The brilliant blue digging tool is an exaggeration of both form and colour, changing the viewer’s perspective from far or near and as an object to circle around and see from different directions.

Fabricated from aluminium, fibre-reinforced plastic, and steel in 2001, Plantoir stands more than 23 feet tall and weighs around 2,300 pounds and was selected by Qatar Museums for the International Horticultural Expo as an example of Qatar’s remarkable collection of both local and international artists whose work is presented in Qatar’s public spaces.

Claes Oldenburg (28 January 1929 – 18 July 2022) was a Swedish-born American sculptor best known for his public art installations, typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions of everyday objects. Many of his works were made in collaboration with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen when they lived and worked in New York City.

Expo 2023 Doha represents a global platform to upgrade the mechanisms of supporting the agricultural sector in desert areas. The event leverages cutting-edge technologies for the sustainability of resources and revolves around major topics such as modern agriculture, environmental awareness, sustainability, technology, and innovation.

Source & cover image credit: Press Release

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Fareeha Imtiaz

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