Mirari, meaning a mirage, wonder or amazement; documents the effects that the emergence of an oil-rich economy in Qatar has had on the State’s culture and national identity. The recent discovery of oil has caused rapid financial growth, accelerating Qatar to the richest country per capita in the world.
During this period of growth, all infrastructures over thirty years old were completely removed and replaced with ultra modern creations, often designed to perfectly imitate the original structure. Qatar has become a simulacrum. National landmarks which represent the country’s history are merely replicas of what once stood, altered to present a modern Qatar to the world.
Mirari investigates how power structures define public spaces, and questions our perceptions of reality and the surreal.
