Concordia Unveiled: How Bahrain Airport’s New Art Installation Redefines Travel
If you are travelling to Bahrain anytime soon, you are in luck. Bahrain International Airport has unveiled a beautiful stained glass panel by the renowned Sir Brian Clarke, which is peak travel aesthetics. The artwork, Concordia, spans an area of 578 m2 (6,220 ft2). It is 34 meters in width and 17 meters in height.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Crown Prince and Prime Minister), the royal family, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Clarke, and Sheikh Rashid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa (Chairman, Bahrain’s National Council for Arts) were present at the ceremony, which took place on 10 April.
From Arrivals to Art: The Story Behind Bahrain’s Airport Sculpture
The hand-crafted stained glass was mouth-blown in Germany by five skilled artisans. The site-specific art project demanded 21 people and was completed in two and a half years. The installation of 127 glass panels took 43 days to set up at Bahrain International Airport, requiring an overall total of 296 hours.
Sir Brian Clarke’s Art Style in Concordia
Sir Brian Clarke has designed windows for numerous churches and historic public buildings around the world. He was also featured in a BBC documentary. Thanks to him, stained glass has now found its rightful place as a contemporary art form. He has also worked with architects Zaha Hadid, IM Pei, and Norman Foster. Concordia is sure to increase Bahrains cultural tourism.
Concordia is embedded with icons and motifs of jasmine, dragonflies, and hawks. It implies not just Clarke’s style but also Bahrain’s cultural tourism. It also features meticulous geometric designs, oddly reminiscent of Islamic art. Also recalls the medieval European tapestries, especially the Book of Hours manuscript and prayer books from the Middle Ages. It is undoubtedly a cultural exchange, a creative intersection between the East and West.
Concordia’s stained glass windows manifest a range of colours and hues depending on the time of day. Each panel of the site-specific art weighs about 250 kg. The entire installation weighs around 32 tons. Despite using the traditional stained glass window, it questions conventional views by using modern methods and symbolic abstraction, renewing its importance.
Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa on the Site-Specific Art Installation
As reported by Vogue Arabia, Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Minister of Finance and National Economy of Bahrain, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company & Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust noted, “Concordia is more than a work of art – it is a symbol of Bahrain’s openness, hospitality, and ambition. This visionary masterpiece shines a light on Bahrain’s longstanding commitment to integrating our culture and heritage into national projects.”
Sir Brian Clarke on the Cultural Diplomacy
The artist, Sir Brian Clarke described Bahrain as “a youthful country with youthful aspirations and optimism, and I like to think that the Concordia stained glass reflects that youthful optimism.”
Upon asking about Concordia, he noted that “All public buildings are optimal homes for site-specific art, and with Bahrain Airport being such a hub terminal, visible both from outside at night and from inside by day, it has a nocturnal presence as well as a daytime presence. This project gave me the chance to create what you might describe as not only a physical stained-glass window but a metaphorical window onto an alternative reality, which I call paradise.”
As reported by the National, Clarke told Globe Newswire, “I have always had a dream of making a composition in a building on a great rectangular scale that is like a view through to another world. It’s something that in some ways unites the two parts of the world, the one that I come from and this region. Everything I have ever learned about stained glass is in some ways expressed in this window. I am very grateful that I can share my enthusiasm about paradise with anyone who sees this window.”
Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah on Travel Aesthetics and Concordia
Bahrain News Agency reports Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah (CEO, Bahrain International Airport Company), commending Clarke’s site-specific art. He says, “We are honoured to showcase Sir Brian Clarke’s extraordinary talent at Bahrain International Airport. This installation not only enhances the travel aesthetic appeal of our terminal but also underscores our commitment to celebrating art and culture as part of the passenger experience at Bahrain International Airport. Art in public spaces, especially in a hub like our airport, plays a vital role in connecting people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.”
Image – Concordia by Sir Brian Clarke. Courtesy – Bahrain International Airport via Facebook
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