The multi-billion dollar new Hamad International Airport is adorned with artwork by renowned artists such as Tom Otterness and Urs Fischer, it was revealed in a recent media tour.

A giant yellow teddy bear which appears to have his head stuck inside a mega table lamp lies at the centre of the retail area. It will be the cynosure of all eyes when operations begin inside the main passenger terminal complex.

This sculpture is the creation of the Swiss contemporary artist Urs Fischer, who lives in the US now. The ‘teddy bear’ sculpture is out of a series of works by the artist, one of which was sold for around $6.8mn at Christie’s in New York, in 2011.

According to the Christie’s website, the Untitled (Lamp/Bear) piece brightly celebrates the objects that define a young child’s life.

Urs Fischer reportedly realised this striking sculpture on a monumental scale, combining a canary yellow teddy bear, everyone’s cherished childhood keepsake, with a bedroom
desk lamp.

Fischer made the bear “not out of fur and foam, but out of bronze, a rich material that reflects the personal value a young owner places upon a toy.”

Recently, the same artist had made headlines recently for his ‘sea of 3,000 sculpted plaster raindrops’ installation which was appreciated by critics worldwide.

There is a collection of striking pieces by another popular artist Tom Otterness placed tastefully at the ‘Activity Nodes’ inside the passenger terminal.

These nodes are supposed to be lively, interactive spaces with relaxed seating, art installations, Wi-Fi, computers and TV screens for passengers.

Otterness is an American sculptor whose works adorn parks, plazas, subway stations, libraries, courthouses and museums in New York and other places around the world.

The sculptures are in the shape of imaginary bronze coloured characters on which passengers can have a seat and children can even slide on it.

There would be more artwork placed inside the airport as time for the launch date comes near, including that of Ahmed Bahrani, who was born in Iraq, but lives and works between Sweden and Qatar.

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