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SHADOWS TRAVELLING ON THE SEA OF THE DAY
Al Shamal, Qatar 2023
Embark on a journey a hundred kilometers from the heart of Doha to discover the captivating art installation Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day by the renowned Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
The art installation features twenty circular canopies, each with downward-facing mirrors supported by steel semicircles. Ten of these are arranged in the center to form a pentagram when viewed from above, referencing designs found in ancient Islamic patterns. It also includes three single rings and two double rings, all securely fixed to the ground.
From afar, the artwork may seem like a desert mirage. But as you navigate beneath the structure, you’ll be immersed in an exploration of the relationship between reflection and reality, engaging your senses and intellect.
Looking up at the mirrored canopies will grant you a unique third-person perspective of yourself standing in the barren desert. As you gaze further at the vast structure, your peripheral vision may be drawn to the upward semicircles. Light from the sun creates shadows and reflections, outmaneuvering your perception to see a seemingly complete and tangible circle that is, in reality, not whole.
Interplays like these blur the boundaries of what is real and what is not, thus linking the desert landscape with the reflected space, creating a sea of interconnections.
The site is located in the municipality of Al Shamal, a few kilometers past the Al Zubarah Fort. No public transportation will take you to the site, and I doubt any taxi or ride-hailing app would be willing to do so. You need to drive over an hour from Doha, following the main road and then taking a left turn at the signpost for the art installation.
While there is no admission fee and the site is open 24/7, the parking lot is just a strip of land. There are no shaded areas or lavatories, so if you visit during the Arabian summer – which I do not recommend, obviously since average temperatures can rise to and sometimes exceed 50°C – you’ll return to your car as if it’s an oven on wheels.
And speaking of wheels, prepare for the rugged terrain from the main road to the car park. Ensure you have a vehicle with high ground clearance or, even better, a 4×4. The location’s terrain and remoteness will absolutely add a sense of adventure to your art exploration.
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