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A new artwork has been unveiled in Doha, Qatar. The new artwork was created by the British artist Damien Hirst. He is famous for his art installations that include dead sharks and cows in clear plastic boxes. His new modern-art work is called The Miraculous Journey. It consists of 14 giant bronze sculptures that show the beginning of human life from conception to birth. The first exhibit shows a human sperm entering an egg. The sculptures progress from the egg producing an embryo, which then turns into a fetus in a giant womb. The final sculpture is of a newborn baby. The very detailed exhibits are between 5 and 14 meters high. They have been installed in front of a women's healthcare center in Qatar.



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Not everyone is happy with the sculptures. They are very controversial in Qatar. Layla Ibrahim, a Qatari art specialist, said: "They are not meant to be decorative, they are meant to create debates. We are not expecting everyone to like them [or] understand them." She added: "We believe it reflects the hospital's mission of taking care of the healthcare of women and babies." Mr Hirst said: "Culturally, it's the first naked sculpture in the Middle East. It's very brave." He added: "The journey a baby goes through before birth is bigger than anything it will experience in its human life. I hope the sculpture will instill in the viewer a sense of awe and wonder at this extraordinary human process."

Sources:

  • https://mashable.com/article/damien-hirst-uterus-sculptures-qatar/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/19/damien-hirst-delivers-controversy-with-giant-uterus-sculptures-at-qatar-hospital
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/10/damien-hirst-unveils-new-art-qatar-201310813953398901.html

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