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As a highlight of the Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture, a mutual exchange of arts, culture, science and sport between the two countries, Qatar Museums (QM) opened the Driven by German Design show, which celebrates the evolution and achievements of German design.

The opening was attended by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, former German president Christian Wulff, Hans-Udo Muzel, German ambassador to Qatar, and Matthias Müller, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen Group.

The exhibition, running at QM Gallery ALRIWAQ in Doha from 3 October 2017 — 14 January 2018, brings together for the first time different design disciplines including architecture, graphic design, product design, automotive design, fashion and furniture design.

It offers visitors a range of insights into both the artistic value of developments in design and their cultural significance by showcasing design concepts and works created in Germany or developed by German designers since 1945.

The show also embodies the ambitious vision of its curator Martin Roth, who sadly passed away during the final stages of the show’s development. Roth is considered one of the most innovative and active cultural managers of the last decades. As director of world-famous museums in Dresden and London, he was committed to creating engaging platforms for a wide audience and encouraging them to experience and be inspired by art.

Over 400 objects are on display, including a number of studies and prototypes that have never before been shown in public. Five exhibition areas are dedicated to the most important periods of post-war German design and showcase the works of more than 30 designers that have influenced design history in both Germany and around the world.

The exhibition documents the development of design in Germany based on the pioneering works of Frei Otto, Achim Menges, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Dieter Rams, Richard Sapper, Max Bill and many others.

Though it does not claim to be exhaustive, it presents the widest possible range of design forms. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to take a closer look at the designers’ methods and try out their own ideas.

A design lab at the center of the exhibition, which was co-developed by Volkswagen Group, provides a window into design processes.

For example, visitors can experience how an idea is generated and developed through to production based on a chair design by Konstantin Grcic and several prototypes from industrial designer Stefan Diez.