Growing Kopi, Drinking Qahwa,
Stories of Coffee in Qatar and Indonesia

The National Museum of Qatar, Doha, Qatar, 2023

The exhibition invites the visitor to go on a journey to discover the history and cultural traditions of coffee in Qatar and Indonesia. Both countries have an ancient and intimate relation with the drink, that goes back to the origin of its cultivation and trading. After being cultivated and consumed for centuries in the Arab World, coffee became popular in Europe in the 16th century. To overcome the Arab hold on the plant, the Dutch undertook growing coffee in their colonies, starting with Java Island, in Indonesia.  

Growing Kopi, Drinking Qahwa is organized in five thematic sections, including growing and drinking coffee, sustainable farming, workers rights and colonialism, as well as social and cultural development. Organized in partnership with the National Museum of Indonesia to mark Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture.

Size: 460m2  
Role: Exhibition design, graphic design 

Photos: Ijas Muhammed