Qatar, here are Damien Hirst's giant fetuses representing the stages from conception to birth

In Qatar, heated controversy has erupted after Damien Hirst (Bristol, 1965) exhibited fourteen huge statues fourteen meters high depicting fetuses inside the womb that illustrate the various stages of a newborn’s formation, from conception to birth. The installation, titled The Miraculous Journey (“The Miraculous Journey”), was placed in the spaces of Sidra Hospital: the works actually date back to October 2013, but were then covered up for years due to the outcry, and rediscovered only in recent days: the official reason was that they needed to be protected from the hospital’s construction work.

Hirst knew even then that the works would be somewhat controversial: “This is the first nude work in the Middle East,” he told the Qatari newspaper Doha News just in October 2013. However, a representative of the Qatar Foundation (the entity that holds ownership of the works), Layla Ibrahim Bacha, said that as much as it is expected that not everyone in Qatar will like The Miraculous Journey, the idea is still to provide an element of discussion for the public to think about. “We believe,” Bacha pointed out, “that the work very much reflects the mission of Sidra Hospital, which specializes in the care of women and children. And it’s perfect for this location, you can already see a lot of people taking pictures, it’s becoming iconic.”

Hirst’s fourteen statues were commissioned by the sister of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani: her aim is to modernize the country’s image, which is also why she decided to enrich the hospital not only with Hirst’s works, but with the achievements of other contemporary artists (including big names in today’s art, such as Tracey Emin).

AFP photo shows Hirst’s work.

Qatar, here are Damien Hirst's giant fetuses representing the stages from conception to birth

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