Hamad International AirportDoha
Enchanted East
Dia al-Azzawi's whimsical animal carousel at Hamad International Airport.
Enchanted East by Dia al-Azzawi is a carousel of forty animal seats installed at Hamad International Airport, turning a familiar fairground form into a permanent sculpture. Al-Azzawi draws on Mesopotamian and Arab visual traditions, and here he channels them into a piece that children recognise instantly and adults read as a summary of the airport's investment in culture beyond duty-free.
The work complements Al-Azzawi's Flying Man elsewhere in HIA, showing the range of his public commissions.
Exhibo editorial
An airport carousel sounds whimsical until you see the craft: each seat is drawn with the same seriousness Al-Azzawi brings to bronze monuments.
If you are travelling with children, this is the commission that earns its keep; if not, it is still worth five minutes for the colour alone.
How to find it
Hamad International Airport. Check the terminal art guide for the carousel's location within the airside concourse.
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