Doha, June 09 (QNA) - Doha Design District (DDD), powered by Msheireb Properties, has announced the 20 shortlisted projects advancing to the final stage of its Public Art Open Call.

The response was extraordinary. Over 220 proposals were received from 53 Nationalities, each one a testament to the hunger artists and designers feel to engage with real places, real communities, and the living fabric of a city.

From that rich and diverse field, 20 works have been selected — five from Qatar, three from the United States, two from Lebanon, and one each from France, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Japan, India, Finland, Tunisia, Kuwait, and Thailand. Together, they form a cohort as international as the city itself.

Director of Doha Design District Dana Kazic commented: "This open call was never just about art. It was an invitation to the world to imagine what Doha could become. The sheer breadth and depth of what we received was humbling. These 20 shortlisted works don't just respond to our spaces; they challenge us, move us, and remind us why public art matters. We look forward to seeing what the final winners bring to life across the district."

The shortlist was determined by a distinguished jury bringing together some of the region's most respected voices in design, culture, and urban development.

Each proposal, whether from an emerging talent or an established name, was evaluated against core criteria: the strength and innovation of the concept; its originality and clarity of artistic vision; how meaningfully it engages with its specific site and Doha's broader cultural context; its capacity to animate public space and spark genuine audience interaction; the sustainability of its materials and production methods; the technical soundness of its installation approach; and the realism of its proposed timeline.

The journey is far from over. From the 20 shortlisted proposals, four final winners will be selected based on a combination of jury deliberation and public voting. The public is invited to see the proposals at Doha Design District Headquarters on the first floor, and vote for their favourite proposal from 18 to 25 June via DDD's website.

Those selected will move forward to develop and realise their works for installation across Msheireb Downtown Doha, transforming the district, piece by piece, into an open-air stage for contemporary expression.

By weaving public art into the everyday life of the place, Doha Design District continues to make the case that great design doesn't live in galleries alone. It lives on the street corner, the plaza, the shaded walkway. Through programmes like this Public Art Open Call, the district champions creative practitioners, nurtures cross-disciplinary exchange, and deepens the cultural roots of one of the Gulf's most ambitious urban destinations. (QNA)