Doha: Qatar Museums has announced the launch of the Lusail Museum Conversations, a series of public lectures and events set to take place at Georgetown University in Qatar. The series will run from January 13 to April 14, marking the inaugural season titled "The Late Ottoman World: At the Roots of the Modern Middle East."
According to Qatar News Agency, this initiative is the first in a longer cycle of thematic seasons aimed at examining the foundations of many dynamics that continue to shape the region today. The series will feature five in-depth talks, exploring themes of authority, artistic expression, reform, and belonging during the nineteenth century.
Designed as a platform for dialogue, scholarship, and cultural exchange, the program aims to engage audiences with leading speakers on the cities, stories, and figures of the nineteenth-century Middle East and beyond. Through conversations led by internationally recognized historians and cultural figures, participants will uncover stories about late Ottoman culture and the roots of the modern Middle East, focusing on how people navigated European modernity within their historical context.
The inaugural season will consist of five lectures and a film screening, each focusing on significant aspects of the late Ottoman era. The first lecture, titled "Princes, Patrons, and Painters: The Ottoman Palace and the Challenge of Modernity," will be delivered by Edhem Eldem on January 13. Ridha Moumni will present "At the Empire's Edge: Art, Authority, and Reform in Nineteenth-Century Tunis" on January 27. Mostafa Minawi will discuss "Arab-Ottoman Imperialists of Istanbul at the Fall of a Multicultural Empire" on February 16. On April 1, Gizem Tongo will deliver "Painting 'Like a Man': Orientalism and Women Artists in the Late Ottoman Empire." The final talk on April 14 will feature Philippe Aractingi with "Heritages: Film Screening and Public Conversation."
This year, Qatar Museums is celebrating Evolution Nation, a campaign recognizing Qatar's cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar. Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement aims to position Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, highlighting the nation's cultural milestones and future aspirations.