Qatar Museums (QM) and the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) are proud to unveil the installation of a monumental new artwork at the Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre (DECC).

Titled ‘Smoke’, the artwork is the latest addition to QM’s collection and is a large-scale sculpture designed in 1967 by American artist Tony Smith and is exhibited posthumously (Smith passed away in 1980).The giant, two-tiered aluminium sculpture is painted black and stands at 24 feet tall. It is a combination of geometric components, including five tetrahedrons and forty-five extended octahedrons.

The sculpture’s powerful form was based on the artist’s fascination with geometry and the morphology of organic shapes like crystals and honeycombs. ‘Smoke’ is a celebration of the triangle – the base unit, which creates a strong and dominating sculpture.

The sculpture is in line with QM’s focus on art, creativity and heritage, under the guidance of its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whilst exposing a new generation to thought provoking public art.

Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Museums, said:

“We are delighted to collaborate with the QTA on this installation. This magnificent sculpture is part of our vision at Qatar Museums to bring world class art to Qatar and enrich the lives of all those who live in and visit our country. The work of Qatar Museums is all around you – in parks, at the DECC, at the airport, at hospitals, even in the desert – as well as in our museums. I hope that this major artwork will inspire local talent and will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Tony Smith (1912-1980) was an American sculptor, visual artist, architectural designer, and a noted theorist on art. He made more than fifty large-scale sculptures in the final two decades of his life. Smith’s work is included in leading international collections such as the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Menil Collection, Houston; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark; and the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterloo, Netherlands.

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