The Katara Cultural Village, the most important cultural complex in Qatar, in 2020 called on various Embassies accredited in Doha, to participate in an interesting initiative, consisting of sending proposals for sculpture designs in materials resistant to the sun and intense heat. The aim was to create an open-air space within the cultural complex, in which sculptural creations from different latitudes of the world would converge, to form the “Plaza de las Artes” a permanent exhibition, which would contribute to highlighting one of Katara’s objectives, the dissemination of global art in various artistic expressions, as well as peaceful coexistence among nations.
The Mexican Embassy enthusiastically accepted the initiative, and in coordination with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a call to several Mexican sculptors to propose projects of their authorship.
Several Mexican artists responded favorably to the call, and after an arduous selection process, the Katara jury chose the sculpture “Meccano”, proposed by Alberto Castro Leñero, as the Mexican piece to be exhibited at Katara.
The sculptor is a leading exponent of Mexican art. Born in Mexico City in 1951, he studied Visual Arts at the Academia de San Carlos de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. He has been a professor of Fine Arts at the UNAM and has taught workshops and courses in painting, visual creation and visual experimentation in various academic institutions.
Since the late 1970s he has regularly exhibited his work in museums, galleries and cultural spaces in Mexico and in various countries, such as Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Japan… and starting from 2021, also in Qatar.
In his work, which includes painting, sculpture, engraving and video, Castro Leñero uses different techniques and materials, developing an eclectic language with a personal touch that allows him to achieve mobility while experimenting with different creative projects. His most recent work has an installation scheme in which sculpture and three-dimensional pavilions relate to space using different techniques, including painting and video.
“Meccano” is the title of the work with which Castro Leñero contributed to make Mexico one of the countries with a permanent presence in Katara’s Plaza de las Artes. It is a piece composed of iron plates that converge at the top, worked in a way that gives a sense of movement and balance.
The inauguration of the sculpture took place on November 31st, 2021, an occasion in which, thanks to Katara’s sponsorship, Castro Leñero was present in Doha.
Also, in addition to the attendance of the General Manager of the Katara Foundation, Dr. Khaled bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, and Graciela Gómez García, Ambassador of Mexico in Qatar, the unveiling ceremony of “Meccano” was attended by Alfonso Zegbe, Executive Director of Strategy and Public Diplomacy of the Mexican Foreign Ministry.
Since that date, Mexicans can boast of having a permanent space for the projection of part of the richness of our culture, in one of the most beautiful and representative spaces of the Katara Cultural Village.
