Press Release

Qatar Museums Authority organizes the “Olympics Through Media” exhibition

Doha, 13 June 2012- Marking the beginning of the XXX Olympiad in London, several museum departments within QMA are organizing the “Olympics Through Media” exhibition at the QMA Gallery, Building 10, in Katara starting July 4 to September 9, 2012. The exhibition will display important historical artifacts and visual materials sourced from the collection of the Qatar Olympics and Sports Museum and QMA’s media collection.

The Olympics Games represent one of the few global media events. They have historically been used to introduce and showcase new technologies and production techniques. From their humble beginnings the Olympic Games and motion pictures in general have developed together in sophistication to reach a truly global audience nowadays. The modern Olympic Games and motion pictures both emerged in 1896, however, it was not until the advent of television that the synergy between the Games and the media grew into the world wide phenomena it is today. Groundbreaking cinematographic techniques were used during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin to capture the athletes from a range of different perspectives using multiple movie cameras and, for the first time, limited live television broadcasts were tried. The 1948 Olympics in London were the first Games to be covered by a public TV service.

Commenting on the importance of this exhibition, Mansoor Al Khater, CEO at Qatar Museums Authority stated: “The Olympics Through Media exhibition is the first time an exhibition has been organized by several museum departments at Qatar Museums Authority. The exhibition will be sourced from historical artifacts and visual material from QMA’s media and sports collections and will showcase important aspects of the development of the relationship between sports and media

over time. We look forward to an engaging exhibition and I invite all community members to visit it.”

An extensive educational program will complement the exhibition with the aim of engaging visitors from all age groups. Educational activities will include a children’s lounge and video games competition as well as a summer holiday program titled “Lights & Shadows,” in which educators have developed activities for children centered on the exhibition’s theme.

Guided tours will also be available giving a deeper insight into the exhibition and gallery lectures led by experts and experienced lecturers including Dr Christian Wacker, Director of the Qatar Olympics and Sports Museum, will be organized covering specific topics related to the early years of the Modern Olympic Games and the relationship between women, the media, and the Olympic Games.

The exhibition will open daily before and after the month of Ramadan from 9am-12pm and 5pm -10pm, except on Friday from 7pm-12am; and during Ramadan from 9am to 12pm and 7pm to 12 am from Saturday to Thursday and from 7 pm to 12 am on Friday. Admission to the exhibition and educational activities is free of charge.

- Ends-

For more information please contact:

Omar Chaikhouni, QMA

+974.4422.4608 / mchaikhouni@qma.org.qa

About Qatar Museums Authority

Established in 2005 by His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani to combine the resources of all museums in the State of Qatar, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) is a governmental organization whose remit is to develop museums and cultural institutions and provide an effective system for collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites, monuments and

artifacts. Under the leadership of its Chairperson H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa, QMA is transforming the State of Qatar into a cultural hub of the Middle East. The Museum of Islamic Art, inaugurated in 2008, is the Authority’s flagship project. The organization won further global acclaim with the December 2010 opening of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. QMA’s goal of becoming a “global leader in the world of museums, art and heritage” will be advanced in the coming years with ambitious, world-class projects, including the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar. For further information, please visit www.qma.org.qa.

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Images & Captions

Exhibition Logo

Title: Leni Riefenstahl and her operator Hans Ertl at the 1936 OlympicsArtist: Lothar Rübelt (1901–1991)Date: 1936

Albert Meyer.The runners preparing to run the finals of the 100 meters, 1896.© Benaki Museum

Former US Olympic champion Rafer Johnson and Chinese Olympic decathlon contestant C K Yang besides the communications satellite Syncom III in 1964.© Getty ImagesCopy right has to be cleared by publisher.

Australia's Cathy Freeman winning the 400 metres final. Sydney 2000© Getty ImagesCopy right has to be cleared by publisher.