The Qatar Museums Authority is organizing an exhibition called "Olympics Through Media" to showcase the relationship between sports and media over time using artifacts from their collections. The exhibition will be held from July 4th to September 9th 2012 at the QMA Gallery in Katara, Doha to commemorate the 2012 London Olympics. Educational programs including tours, lectures, and children's activities will accompany the exhibition. Admission will be free.

1. Press Release
Qatar Museums Authority organizes the “Olympics Through Media”
exhibition
Doha, June 2012- Marking the beginning of the XXX Olympiad in London,
several museum departments within QMA are organizing the “Olympics Through
Media” exhibition at the QMA Gallery, Building 10, in Katara starting July 4 to
September 9, 2012. The exhibition will display important historical artifacts and
visual materials sourced from the collection of the Qatar Olympics and Sports
Museum and QMA’s media collection.
The Olympics Games represent one of the few global media events. They have
historically been used to introduce and showcase new technologies and production
techniques. From their humble beginnings the Olympic Games and motion pictures
in general have developed together in sophistication to reach a truly global
audience nowadays. The modern Olympic Games and motion pictures both
emerged in 1896, however, it was not until the advent of television that the synergy
between the Games and the media grew into the world wide phenomena it is today.
Groundbreaking cinematographic techniques were used during the 1936 Olympics
in Berlin to capture the athletes from a range of different perspectives using
multiple movie cameras and, for the first time, limited live television broadcasts
were tried. The 1948 Olympics in London were the first Games to be covered by a
public TV service.
Commenting on the importance of this exhibition, Mansoor Al Khater, CEO at
Qatar Museums Authority stated: “The Olympics Through Media exhibition is the
first time an exhibition has been organized by several museum departments at
Qatar Museums Authority. The exhibition will be sourced from historical artifacts
and visual material from QMA’s media and sports collections and will showcase
important aspects of the development of the relationship between sports and media

2. over time. We look forward to an engaging exhibition and I invite all community
members to visit it.”
An extensive educational program will complement the exhibition with the aim of
engaging visitors from all age groups. Educational activities will include a
children’s lounge and video games competition as well as a summer holiday
program titled “Lights & Shadows,” in which educators have developed activities
for children centered on the exhibition’s theme.
Guided tours will also be available giving a deeper insight into the exhibition and
gallery lectures led by experts and experienced lecturers including Dr Christian
Wacker, Director of the Qatar Olympics and Sports Museum, will be organized
covering specific topics related to the early years of the Modern Olympic Games
and the relationship between women, the media, and the Olympic Games.
The exhibition will open daily before and after the month of Ramadan from 9am-
12pm and 5pm -10pm, except on Friday from 7pm-12am; and during Ramadan
from 9am to 12pm and 7pm to 12 am from Saturday to Thursday and from 7 pm to
12 am on Friday. Admission to the exhibition and educational activities is free of
charge.
- Ends-
For more information please contact:
Omar Chaikhouni, QMA
+974.4422.4608 / mchaikhouni@qma.org.qa
About Qatar Museums Authority
Established in 2005 by His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al
Thani to combine the resources of all museums in the State of Qatar, Qatar
Museums Authority (QMA) is a governmental organization whose remit is to
develop museums and cultural institutions and provide an effective system for
collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites, monuments and

3. artifacts. Under the leadership of its Chairperson H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa, QMA
is transforming the State of Qatar into a cultural hub of the Middle East. The
Museum of Islamic Art, inaugurated in 2008, is the Authority’s flagship project.
The organization won further global acclaim with the December 2010 opening of
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. QMA’s goal of becoming a “global leader
in the world of museums, art and heritage” will be advanced in the coming years
with ambitious, world-class projects, including the Jean Nouvel-designed National
Museum of Qatar. For further information, please visit www.qma.org.qa.
Stay social with Qatar Museums Authority:
www.facebook.com/QatarMuseumsAuthority www.twitter.com/QatarMuseumsAut

4. Images & Captions
Exhibition Logo
Title: Leni Riefenstahl and her operator Hans Ertl
at the 1936 Olympics
Artist: Lothar Rübelt (1901–1991)
Date: 1936
Albert Meyer.
The runners preparing to run the finals of the 100 meters,
1896.
© Benaki Museum
Former US Olympic champion Rafer Johnson and Chinese
Olympic decathlon contestant C K Yang besides the
communications satellite Syncom III in 1964.
© Getty Images
Copy right has to be cleared by publisher.

5. Australia's Cathy Freeman winning the 400 metres final.
Sydney 2000
© Getty Images
Copy right has to be cleared by publisher.