Privileged Points, a striking sculptural installation by celebrated contemporary artist Nairy Baghramian, is now on view at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park, as part of Qatar Museums’ mission to make exceptional contemporary art accessible to all and to spark dialogue between cultures, histories, and environments. Nairy Baghramian’s sculptural practice draws on architectural elements and the human body to explore how time, space, and social contexts intersect with language, memory, and contemporary life. Her works invite viewers to reconsider their relationship with surrounding spaces and to reflect on how form and meaning evolve across settings. Key aspects of Nairy Baghramian’s work include:
- Exploring the relationship between architecture, human body, and time
- Examining the intersection of language, memory, and contemporary life
- Influenced by traditional sculptural questions of mass and weightlessness, form and colour, stability and performance
Nairy Baghramian’s works often respond sympathetically and in dialogue with their environment, allowing them to merge historical and contemporary influences, techniques, and materials. This approach encourages audiences to explore connections across cultures and time, and to reflect on the shared creativity that shapes the human experience.
“With Privileged Points, Nairy Baghramian explores ideas of space, balance, and material in a way that resonates strongly with its setting at MIA Park. The work exemplifies our mission to bring bold, thought-provoking contemporary art into the public realm, art that invites reflection, challenges perception, and sparks dialogue across cultures. We are proud to include this important work in Qatar Museums’ Public Art Collection.”
Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions, Public Art, and Rubayia at Qatar Museums, stated that Privileged Points was first exhibited in 2017 at the fifth edition of Skulptur Projekte Münster, one of the world’s most significant platforms for public art.
- Privileged Points was first exhibited at Skulptur Projekte Münster in 2017
- The work can be reconfigured in different arrangements and adapted to various sites
- The work is part of an ongoing series of sculptures that Nairy Baghramian has created
- Soft pastel lacquer-coated tubular bronze forms
- Bulbous, drip-like bases
- Muted tones and organic composition
- Encourages audiences to explore connections across cultures and time
The use of muted tones and the sculpture’s organic composition allow it to respond sympathetically and in dialogue with its environment. The work addresses traditional sculptural questions of mass and weightlessness, form and colour, stability and performance. Through its careful interplay of balance and openness, Privileged Points merges historical and contemporary influences, techniques, and materials. This unveiling is part of Qatar Museums’ ongoing investment in public art and cultural dialogue, transforming the country’s urban and natural landscapes into dynamic platforms for creativity and exchange.
Qatar Museums’ mission is to make exceptional contemporary art accessible to all and to spark dialogue between cultures, histories, and environments. The addition of Privileged Points to Qatar’s growing Public Art Collection exemplifies this mission, making it a highlight of Qatar’s cultural landscape. The work will be on view at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park until a later date.
- “My sculptures are not just objects, but spaces that invite the viewer to imagine and reflect.”
- “I am interested in how the human body interacts with its environment, and how that interaction shapes our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.”
The unveiling of Privileged Points marks an exciting development in Qatar’s cultural scene, as it highlights the country’s commitment to contemporary art and cultural dialogue. The work’s unique blend of historical and contemporary influences, techniques, and materials, makes it a standout piece in Qatar’s growing Public Art Collection.