Latest news with #Mathaf:
ILoveQatar.net
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- ILoveQatar.net
Qatar: Close to My Soul Exhibition
The Qatar: Close to My Soul Art from the Collection of Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani exhibition presents works from the late 1960s onwards, providing a broad overview of Qatari art, artists, movements, and ideas that have shaped modern and contemporary art from the country. Modern and contemporary art in Qatar emerged as a visual extension of the political, economic and sociocultural context of the country in the second half of the twentieth century. A poetic journey into the past and present, Qatar: Close to My Soul is a testament to the diversity and development of the nation's visual culture. Featuring a significant number of artists and artworks, the exhibition reveals the distinct thematic approaches that have emerged and converged over different generations. The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections. The first of these, O'mri Qatar, explores how artists draw inspiration from traditional architectural and natural landscapes. The second, Dewdrops, features works portraying society, and the third, Boundless Expanse, presents various experiments in abstraction and hurruffiya, an art form incorporating Arabic letterforms. Through the exhibited works, texts, and archival material, visitors will gain a deeper insight into the history of modern and contemporary art in Qatar. Museum Hours: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday: 9 am – 7 pm Monday: Closed Thursday: 9 am – 9 pm Friday: 1:30 pm - 7 pm Source: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art Note: The details mentioned in this event listing are sourced from the organizers' official announcements and are subject to change. Please check with the organizer directly before making plans.
CairoScene
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
The World's Largest Modern Arab Art Collection Is in This Doha Museum
With over 9,000 works, Mathaf isn't just a museum—it's loud, political, playful, and deeply personal. If your Qatar itinerary is heavy on sunsets, souqs, and skyline views—pause for a moment and make space for a different kind of thrill: the electric jolt of contemporary Arab art. Tucked inside Doha's Education City, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art isn't just a museum—it's the region's brainiest, boldest, and most rebellious creative clubhouse. And somehow, it still feels like a secret. Home to the world's largest collection of modern and contemporary Arab art (over 9,000 works, if you're counting), Mathaf (Arabic for 'museum') is anything but quiet. It's where painters, poets, rebels, and rule-breakers from across the Arab world come to have a say—and a moment. Think surrealist paintings from Syria, feminist sculptures from Sudan, abstract experiments from Iraq, and political pop from Palestine. Opened in 2010 as part of Qatar Museums' sweeping cultural vision, this under-the-radar institution features sharply curated exhibitions with a refreshingly unpretentious energy. You don't need an art degree to get it. Just curiosity—and maybe a little time to let it all sink in. And this being Doha, of course there's more: salons, panels, screenings, and the kind of people-watching that could launch a whole new personality era. Whether you drop in for 30 minutes or settle in for the full afternoon, Mathaf will leave you thinking, questioning, and probably Googling at least three new artists on your ride home. Located just 20 minutes from the city center (and, pro tip: very near some very good coffee), this museum is a must for anyone who wants to get under the surface of the Arab world—not just past or present, but future too. So go ahead. Skip the expected. And step inside a space where art isn't hung up in a vacuum. It's loud, political, playful, and deeply personal.
ILoveQatar.net
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ILoveQatar.net
Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination
Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination is the first museum exhibition dedicated to the career of pioneering Qatari artist, educator, and designer Wafa al-Hamad (1964–2012). Featuring works from the permanent collection of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition includes a range of media—watercolour, oil painting, woodwork, and digital art—alongside archival materials and loans. Al-Hamad's art integrates Arabic calligraphy, optical illusions, abstraction, and three-dimensional design, creating dreamlike realms where ancestral memory converges with contemporary expression. The exhibition considers both global and Gulf-specific influences on modern art and abstraction that shaped al-Hamad's visual language. It also reflects on the Qatari and broader Arab traditions that informed her practice, practice, highlighting a distinctive aesthetic philosophy. Curated by Lina Ramadan. Details Source and cover image credit: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art Note: The details mentioned in this event listing are sourced from the organizers' official announcements and are subject to change. Please check with the organizer directly before making plans.
