An Artist's Voyage on Q-Flex Ship to Boost Qatar-UK Cultural Ties

Doha, July 17 (QNA) - A Doha-based British artist will this weekend travel onboard 'Al Karaana', Qatar Gas Transport Company's (Nakilat) Q-Flex Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) cargo ship, and capture his 20-day journey from Ras Laffan to Europe's largest re-gasification terminal at South Hook in Wales, United Kingdom (UK) in art. Starting this Saturday, Ben Barbour, 36, will trace Qatar's historic pearl trade routes aboard the Nakilat vessel, managed by Shell International Shipping and Trading, and paint the crew at work among other scenes that his creative mind's eye sees during the long journey. His will draw parallels between Qatar's industry of natural resources and its former pearl fishing industry. Announcing details of the artist's journey at a media conference held at Qatargas headquarters in West Bay, officials from Qatar-UK 2013 Year of Culture, Qatargas, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), Nakilat, Qatar Shell and British Council said this unique cultural project will boost ties between Qatar and UK. Addressing the media, QMA's Qatar-UK 2013 Project Manager Aisha Ghanem Al Attiya said, "The Year of Culture has provided people in Qatar and Qataris living and studying abroad unique opportunities to engage with their own history and that of the UK, in performing arts, education, cultural exchange, sport and community outreach. As the Year of Culture is working towards strengthening bilateral relations between Qatar and the UK, this journey is very symbolic for us." Qatargas Shipping Manager Abdurrahman Mohamed Al Mulla said, "Qatargas is delighted to support Barbour in this 20-day voyage on the Qatargas-chartered vessel that carries liquefied natural gas from our plants in Ras Laffan to the South Hook Terminal in Milford Haven. Our support to this venture reflects the importance we attach to arts and culture as key focus areas of our corporate social responsibility programme." Expressing his delight to work with Qatar UK 2013 Year of Culture and Qatargas, Nakilat Fleet Director Samir Bailouni said, "This is the first time we are part of an art project. It is also the first time we will be having an artist on board, usually we have engineers! "Ben will witness firsthand the everyday life on a Q-Flex LNG vessel. He will also experience the tanker's route, the vessel's operations and how LNG is carried and safely managed." British Council Qatar Director Martin Hope said, "We are bringing the two nations closer together through cultural exchanges. Ben will contribute to this by charting and painting the key features of this traditional trade route during his time on the vessel. The project serves to underline the already existing strong ties between our countries." Qatargas 4 Governance and Commercial Manager at Qatar Shell Rahul Deep Singh said, "As one of the Platinum Sponsors for Qatar UK 2013, Shell is pleased to be a part of this exciting art project and look forward to hosting Ben aboard the Q-Flex carrier, Al Karaana, on this historic journey." Speaking about his journey, Barbour, who hails from West London, told Qatar News Agency (QNA), "I plan to capture the scenes in 50 to 100 paintings that will be exhibited at Katara in October and in Wales later this year. "It's a lifelong dream to take part in a journey of this kind. I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel on a Q-flex and explore the journey first hand. I feel very honoured to be able to contribute to the Year of Culture, documenting not only the past, but also some of the shared similarities between Qatar and the UK." An extraordinary artist with deep roots documenting Qatar's remarkable journey, Barbour's highly acclaimed work 'New City' documented Msheireb, the earliest suburb of Doha, through sketches as the area underwent extensive redevelopment. His journey will begin at 11am Saturday from Ras Laffan and pass through the Gulf of Hormuz, Red Sea, Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, Bay of Biscay and reach South Hook in UK. While following the old pearl trade routes, Barbour will regularly post updates online which can be followed on the Qatar UK 2013 Facebook page facebook.com/QatarUK2013. The purpose of this artistic voyage is to deepen understanding of Qatar's unprecedented economic development from dependence on the natural resources provided by the sea through economic diversity powered by the oil and gas sector to greater economic diversification and the creation of a knowledge-based economy by 2030. (QNA)