Years of Culture
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2025/12/09
From interactive storytelling and craft workshops inspired by Latin American traditions to musical performances, talks, film screenings, and cross-cultural exchanges, the season offered something for everyone.
These two months showcased the breadth of the Years of Culture programme: grand concerts, street art collaborations, art exhibitions, sporting events and journeys that crossed continents. Here is a look back at some of the season’s most memorable moments.
In Doha, the programme took place across a constellation of cultural spaces, each offering its own lens into Argentinian and Chilean culture.
On 14th September, A Musical Encounter – Sounds of Qatar and Argentina at the Qatar National Convention Centre united the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra with Argentine maestro Enrique Diemecke for a preview of the Doha programme destined for Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. The performance featured works by Piazzolla, Benzecry, Ginastera, Dana Alfardan and Nasser Sahim, demonstrating how music can serve as a shared language.
The Qatar National Library became a popular gathering point throughout the season, hosting musical evenings, craft workshops and reading initiatives shaped by the cultural landscapes of Argentina and Chile.
On 25th September, Philharmonic at the Library – Vuelvo al Sur offered an intimate exploration of tango, nueva canción and Andean rhythms, reflecting on memory, migration and the emotional landscapes carried through music.
This musical journey continued in October, with Cordillera Sonora – Sound of the Mountains which listeners in Chile’s highland soundscape, blending traditional Andean instruments with classical arrangements to evoke the expanse and rhythm of South America’s mountain ranges.
Alongside concerts and talks, the fall season placed a strong emphasis on younger audiences, with interactive workshops and storytelling sessions held throughout September and October.
Make With Me – Argentina Edition invited children to explore Argentinian culture through craft, creating a space where families learned together through colour, texture and play, while the Chile Edition celebrated Chilean arts and storytelling.
Throughout October, more than 1,500 children across the country received Argentina-themed reading packs through the Qatar Reads Years of Culture Month initiative. Each pack was filled with bilingual books, comics and activity sheets developed in collaboration with the Argentinian Embassy.
Chile Storytime – When the Moai Walked also saw guest storyteller Meherio Rapu introduce the oral traditions of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) to young readers aged 5 to 7.
From 22nd to 28th September, the Museum of Islamic Art hosted Decades of Arab Latin Cinema, a series of film screenings curated with LatinArab. The programme highlighted the deep cinematic ties forged through Arab migration to Latin America, offering films that intertwined history, memory and diaspora.
Public art came to the forefront in October when Chilean artist Daniel Marceli and Argentinian muralist Pablo Harymbat transformed a series of tunnels along the Qatar Olympic Cycling Track with large-scale artworks as part of the JEDARIART initiative, honouring indigenous stories and Latin American visual traditions.
The Place Vendôme Mall in Doha also welcomed families for the launch of the fifth season of Siraj, Qatar Foundation’s celebrated children’s series. Running from 2nd to 12th October, the activation wove Argentinian and Chilean elements into the imaginative world of Rashid and Noura through screenings, workshops and live character appearances.
At Hospitality Qatar 2025, the Years of Culture Initiative and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry presented Tourism and Hospitality Engagement Through the Lens of Culture, introducing new perspectives on cultural experience within the hospitality sector.
October also saw a major public installation at MIA Park: Rirkrit Tiravanija’s untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes). Inspired by Victor Grippo’s 1972 performance, the project used traditional ovens as a site for exchange, inviting visitors, chefs and artists to gather around the universal act of bread-making.
In early September, a group of Qatari influencer ambassadors visited Argentina to immerse themselves in the country’s cultural heritage, meeting local communities and documenting the exchange along the way.
During their trip, anticipation filled the streets outside the city’s historic Teatro Colón where A Musical Encounter: Sounds of Qatar and Argentina drew large queues and widespread interest from local audiences.
From 20th to 27th September, a group of volunteers travelled from Qatar to Buenos Aires as part of the Qatar Museums Volunteers Initiative. The group had the opportunity to work alongside local institutions including the Mayor’s Office, Ministry of Culture, Teatro Colón and the Andar Foundation. Volunteers restored heritage artefacts, facilitated workshops and exchanged culinary traditions with the local community.
On 24th September, Usina del Arte hosted the Doha Debates Town Hall, where students and young professionals from all three partner countries explored how cities might evolve in response to global challenges. The debate unfolded inside a former power plant turned cultural landmark, a fitting symbol of reinvention.
Throughout September and October, the Kalila wa Dimna Art Exhibition continued to welcome families to the Biblioteca Ricardo Güiraldes. Qatari artist Wadha Al Athba’s beautiful illustrations offered Argentinian readers a contemporary gateway into classical Arabic storytelling.
Following their visit to Buenos Aires, the Qatari Influencer Ambassadors went on to travel across Chile, from Santiago to Rapa Nui, documenting their encounters with Chilean heritage, craft, and stunning landscapes.
From 27th September to 4th October, coastal town Matanzas hosted the second part of the Qatar Museums Volunteer Initiative. The same group of volunteers from Qatar worked alongside local partners on environmental activities, the creation of a collaborative mural, pottery workshops and collective cooking, each activity drawing on local knowledge and traditional ways of making.
In October, the latest edition of CultuRide saw a group of cyclists from Qatar, Argentina and Chile cross the Andes, covering more than 500 km. Designed by Qatari adventurer Ali Bin Towar Al Kuwari, the journey introduced participants to mountain towns, regional traditions and the spectacular diversity of the Andean corridor.
Legacy exhibitions and events across Doha celebrated the enduring impact of past Years of Culture editions. At the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Esports – A Game Changer traced the rise of competitive gaming from niche pastime to global phenomenon, building on its Paris 2024 Summer Olympics debut, as part of the Qatar-France 2020 Legacy.
Liwan Design Studios presented Sailing Through Time, a ceramic exhibition by Indonesian artist F. Kika Puspitastudibyo developed during her residency, part of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Legacy.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, Manga Style Artist Talks celebrated the ongoing friendship between Qatar and Japan, through live sketching, workshops and panel discussions.
At M7, visitors encountered a trio of exhibitions celebrating regional creativity. Houbara Haven – A Chaumet Tiara traced Qatari artist Aisha Alattiya’s journey from concept sketches to gold and gemstone craftsmanship, also part of the Qatar-France 2020 Legacy.
Threads of Impact: Celebrating 7 Years of Fashion Trust Arabia presented over 80 MENA designers, illustrating contemporary Arab fashion alongside South Asian influences. Portals in Flux is a group exhibition exploring thresholds and movement, featuring works by 15 Qatar-based artists from Fire Station’s artist-in-residence programme.
Amazigh Hair Couture explored Moroccan Amazigh hair traditions, from braiding to ritual adornment, while showing how contemporary artists reimagine these practices today.
In a nod to the Qatar-UK 2013 Legacy, the 3-2-1 Museum showcased Sneakers Unboxed – Studio to Street, while QM Gallery Al Riwaq unveiled Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s public sculpture Rock on Top of Another Rock.
The fall season demonstrated how culture can spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and bring communities together. Across Qatar, Argentina, and Chile, people of all ages joined in workshops, concerts, and exchanges that bridged continents and traditions. The 2025 Year of Culture continues to offer new ways to explore, participate, and connect.
Explore what’s coming next as part of the Qatar, Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture.
