Chinese Artist Xu Bing Visits 2022 Supreme Committee HQ

Doha, March 02 (QNA) - Renowned Chinese contemporary artist, Xu Bing, has visited the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) where he met with members of the committee and held discussions about how he can lend his expertise to the stadium art programs as well as in other projects the committee is working on towards the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Asked about his vision for artistic works that involves the use of recycled materials, the Chinese artist his work has "a lot to do with debris and recycled materials. Most people neglect these things, however to use recycled materials from, for example, Al Rayyan Stadium to make new things is a very interesting concept." He added that "the recycled materials from Al Rayyan Stadium are not only materials; they are also the memories of Qatari culture and sports. With the use of those materials we can deliver a message with a very profound meaning which is so familiar to the Qatar community." The SC has committed to a minimum 90 percent reduction in waste from Al Rayyan Stadium deconstruction reaching landfills. Known for his work with recycled materials, Bing currently resides in Beijing, where he serves as the president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and is well-known for his print-making skills and installation pieces, as well as his creative artistic use of language, words and text. During his stopover in Qatar, the artist learned about the SC's plans for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and visited Al Rayyan Stadium construction site and the place where all the materials from the old stadium are kept until they are reutilized. SC Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Nasser Al Khater also met with the artist during his visit and said: "We are placing a key emphasis on the sustainability of all our projects. The use of recycled materials from our stadiums opens the door to many possibilities in art. We are exploring new ways to use recycled debris and ultimately express our passion for football and our vision hosting the worlds greatest football tournament." The Chinese artist, who also visited numerous museums and heritage sites across the country, added that he saw similarities between the Qatari and Chinese cultures. "The people of Qatar also have a very profound relationship with nature. Qatar is also a country with a lot of energy and I feel like it can absorb the essence of a lot of cultures, resulting in something world class as well as contemporary." Bing also had a chance to engage with students at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU-Q). "I really enjoy working with students, it helps me realize that every generation has their own qualities and this makes me understand the limits of my own," he said. Students of VCU in the United States worked with Bing on one of his most popular works, Tobacco. The artist explained that what inspired him in this case was a visit to Durham, North Carolina. "The entire town smelled like cigarettes, plus they have a well-known clinic specializing in cancer." (QNA)