QMA Opens 'Hey'Ya: Arab Women in Sport' at Sotheby's London

Doha, July 25 (QNA) - Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) opened the "Hey'Ya: Arab Women in Sport" exhibition at Sotheby s Gallery in London in conjunction with the XXX Olympiad. The exhibition, extending until August 11, features a series of large-scale photographs by Brigitte Lacombe shown alongside videos by documentary filmmaker Marian Lacombe, of more than 50 Arab sportswomen from 20 different Arab countries from beginners to Olympians, which situate the images within a wider discourse of gender, culture and sport in the Arab world. The exhibition was conceived by QMA, combining its long-standing commitment to commissioning and showing the work of internationally renowned artists with the wider goal of the country to drive forward Qatar s aim of educating and sparking debate about sport, and of persuading more girls to find a way to participate, indicated a release by QMA on Wednesday. Commenting on the exhibition, QMA CEO Mansoor Al Khater said in the release: "This exhibition is a reflection of our belief in the power of culture in breaking down social barriers and building bridges between people of all nations and backgrounds. QMA is committed to enlarging the cultural debate and creating a platform for the voice of Qatar." The project, shot over a period of seven months, began in December 2011, during which Brigitte and Marian Lacombe set up a specially created outdoor studio, working side by side. Thereafter they travelled working with women athletes of all ages and levels of achievement in countries from all over the Arab world. With the support of Qatar s Aspire programme, which promotes sporting opportunities for young people, they also worked with the talented younger generation of sporting hopefuls. QMA Gallery at the Cultural Village, Katara, will play host to the exhibition in February 2013. An extensive educational program will complement this exhibition aiming to engage visitors. Brigitte Lacombe is an award-winning French photographer. She has worked with international directors including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, Sam Mendes, Michael Haneke, David Mamet, Quentin Tarantino, and Spike Jonze. Her work has been extensively published including two monographs (2001 and 2009). Since 2009, she has been working on an ongoing project for the Doha Film Institute and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar. Titled "I am Film", this is a collection of portraits of international filmmaker and actors, with an emphasis on filmmakers from the Middle East region. Marian Lacombe works as an independent documentary film-maker, following 20 years as a reporter, anchorwoman and editor-in-chief on daily news and magazines for the French TV channel M6 in Paris. She has directed documentaries on filmmakers, choreographers, and designers such as Robert Altman, Philippe Decoufle and Christian Lacroix. Since 2010, she has been working with Brigitte Lacombe for the Doha Film Institute photographic project "I am Film". (QNA