The East-West/West-East art installation by Richard Serra stands tall in the Qatari desert, often without any visitors, as it’s quite a distance from Doha. Completed in 2014, the artwork consists of four tall steel plates set at intervals in a 0.6-mile (1-kilometer) line. Walk close to one of the pillars to inspect it or pick a spot along the plateau on either side of the collection to view all four pillars at once. Each rises to a height greater than 45 feet (14 meters), the ancient position of sea level in the area.
Travel to the site to puzzle out the artist’s meaning and appreciate the desert’s tranquility. Serra picked the location based on the recommendation of former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who remembered antelopes grazing here.
American artist Richard Serra began his adult life working in a steel mill before shifting to art. He is known for creating large installations of fiberglass, rubber and steel across the world. In Doha, walk out along the Corniche past MIA Park to see his art installation 7. He created this tall piece by mounting seven tall plates of steel upright so that their upper edges form a perfect heptagon.
Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the head of Qatar Museums and the sister of Qatar’s emir, commissioned both of Serra’s pieces here. Visit the National Museum of Qatar that was part of her arts initiative for the nation. Its futuristic shape is actually based on the “desert rose,” a flower-like cluster of gypsum crystal found in the desert.
To get to East-West/West-East by Richard Serra, drive west from Doha to the town of Zekreet and follow signs north to the art installation on the Ras Abrouq Peninsula. The trip here should take less than 90 minutes.
While in the Zekreet region, visit other interesting spots including windswept limestone formations, Zekreet Beach, the ruins of Zekreet Fort, the Film City ghost town and the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO site where you might see camels, wild oryx and gazelles. Bring extra water whenever you are traveling in Qatar’s desert areas.
