Mustafa Husain, with ‘Seeroo fi al ardh’ in the backdrop.
Doha: The story of how the final work of the late, great Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain found its home in Doha will be told by Qatar Foundation at the international premiere of an award-winning short documentary, marking the 10th anniversary of his death.
‘Seeroo fi al ardh’ – a one-of-a-kind art installation undertaken by Husain as part of a sweeping project that relives the journey of human civilization from the perspective of the Arab region – was conceived by the famed artist in the twilight of his career, but he did not live to see his tribute to mankind’s spirit of innovation completed.
Following and incorporating every aspect of Husain’s original plan for ‘Seeroo fi al ardh,’ Qatar Foundation (QF) ensured his vision came to fruition. Commissioned by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, it has been permanently housed at Education City since December 2019, helping to ensure that Husain’s artistic legacy lives.
On June 9 at 9 pm – a decade on from Husain, who lived in Qatar in his later years, passing away at the age of 95 – the QF documentary will explore his life, inspiration, and genius. The premiere would be followed by an online panel discussion exploring the impact his work had and continues to have on the world.
“He had his own ideas – he never followed a particular style of painting,” says Mustafa Husain, the artist’s son, in the documentary. “He evolved, and he got his own style. The passion was to create something different from nothing.”
The documentary – which has been showcased and won awards at leading film festivals worldwide – also hears from Husain’s daughter-in-law Najma Husain, Qatari artist Yousif Ahmed, and Sujata Varma, curator of the Doha-based Indian art showcase Fanqaar.
Moderated by poet, art critic, cultural theorist, and curator Ranjith Hoskote, a friend of Husain’s, the webinar, titled “Painter, polymath, provocateur: Rediscovering M.F. Husain through his final artwork,” will welcome Mustafa Husain; Layla Ibrahim Bacha, senior art specialist and ‘Seeroo fi al ardh’ project supervisor, QF; artist, curator, and Kochi Biennale president Bose Krishnamachari; and Dimitri Yuri, award-winning director, The Film House, the Qatar production company which created the documentary.
Together, they will discuss the journey of ‘Seeroo fi al ardh’ from Husain’s imagination to its Education City reality, the enduring influence of his art, and what this installation says about Qatar’s growing profile as an international hub of arts and culture.
The premier of the documentary is in partnership with SCALE Magazine.
Comprising the flying machines of Abbas Ibn Firnas and Leonardo da Vinci, glass horses, and vintage cars, which move to music that Husain himself selected and are set against the backdrop of a giant mosaic of horses – a tribute to Qatar’s equine heritage as well as the artist’s own love of animals – ‘Seeroo fi al ardh’s main show tells the tale of how first nature, then machines, advanced the ambitions of people throughout the Arab region.
It also reflects how, even before the European Renaissance, the Arab world experienced an age of enlightenment, innovation, and experimentation.
‘Seeroo fi al ardh,’ which has been closed due to COVID-19, will reopen to the public later in the year, with more details to be announced closer to the time.
