The Qatari desert is home to rolling sand dunes and dramatic limestone cliffs – and lately, to otherworldly art installations.

About an hour’s drive north of colossal monolithic sculptures installed by US artist Richard Serra, the rock formations and desert plants dotting the remote landscape give way to a cluster of striking twisted structures.

These free-standing rings and silvered-glass mirrors are the work of Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic-Danish artist known for his exploration of humanity’s deep-rooted connection to nature.