Acciona Producciones y Diseño recreates the pilgrimage to Mecca for the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art

“Hajj, the Journey through Art” opened on October 9th and draws on objects, documents and art to explain the ceremonial aspects and the significance of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño, an ACCIONA affiliate and Europe’s leading designer of cultural events and exhibitions, was responsible for the design and installation of “Hajj, the Journey through Art”, an exhibition at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art, in Qatar, which will run until January 5th, 2014.

This is the third cultural exhibition designed by ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño in Qatar, as a result of which the company is fast consolidating its presence there.

In the current exhibition, ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño has used a range of objects to reflect the art and traditions that surround the pilgrimage to Mecca. They include manuscripts related to the road to Mecca, textiles used to drape the black walls of the holy place of Kaava, and all kinds of traditional objects used by pilgrims. The show’s star exhibits are certificates dating back to the 15th century received by the faithful who completed the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Qatar Museums Authority chose ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño for the project because of its “respect for the minimalist essence of the museum, in which the objects displayed are not overwhelmed by louder aesthetic considerations, and are supported by cutting-edge technology and aesthetics”.

ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño has arranged the artworks and objects along a number of “routes” that imitate the road to Mecca, with the aim of putting visitors in the mind frame of pilgrims of the Hajj. In addition, panels and interactive tables allow visitors to delve deeper into the exhibition’s content and to get a better grasp of each exhibit’s historical, artistic and cultural value. The visit ends in a room dominated by an array of mirrors arranged in a giant circle showing a multimedia display.

ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño’s activity in Qatar is growing. The company recently organized two temporary exhibitions: one in the Doha Museum of Islamic Art dedicated to the Habsburg diplomat Hans Ludwig von Kuefstein, and another at the Orientalist Museum de Qatar, “The Art of Travel: Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614)”. These projects are helping ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño to establish its reputation in the Middle East.

Founded in 1992, ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño is Europe’s leading specialist in the design of cultural exhibitions, events and multimedia spectaculars. It uses cutting-edge visual and sensory technology to transmit the history, tradition and values of a given place.