Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art explained

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
Native Name:Arabic: متحف : المتحف العربي للفن الحديث
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Mapframe-Marker:museum
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Location:Doha, Qatar
Type:Art Museum
Director:Zeina Arida
Owner:Qatar Museums

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (متحف : المتحف العربي للفن الحديث) is a museum in Doha, Qatar with over 9,000 objects.[1] Established in 2010, it is considered a major cultural attraction in the country.[2]

Mathaf houses the world's largest collection of modern and contemporary Arab art.[3] [4]

History

Mathaf (متحف in Arabic) translates to "museum".[5] The initial collection was gathered by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani, and QM provided the conditions of conservation as a public institution chaired by Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al Thani.[6] Sheikh Hassan started building a collection in the early 1990s of art created by artists from the Arab world over the last 200 years with the aim of creating a museum that could capture and represent artists from this region. From the 1990s and early 2000s, the collection was housed in two private villas in Madinat Khalifa in Doha while Sheikh Hassan and early advisors and staff conceived of an idea of what an Arab perspective on modern and contemporary art and museums could be.

In 2010, the museum opened its doors in the Qatar Foundation's Education City in the Doha Metropolitan Area in a former school building transformed by the French architect Jean-François Bodin.[7] At the time, it was the first museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art in the country.[8] Artist and former staff member Sophia Al-Maria recounts the early intentions of Sheikh Hassan and the founding team as shaping the institution to be a "twenty-first century 'post-museum'...a fledgling term for transparent, interaction-oriented museum models."[9] The inaugural exhibitions included "Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art," featuring 240 artworks by more than 100 artists curated by Nada Shabout, Wassan Al-Khudhairi, and Deena Chalabi; "Interventions: A Dialogue Between the Modern and the Contemporary," curated by Nada Shabout; and "Told / Untold / Retold," curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath and featuring newly commissioned works by 23 contemporary artists.[10]

In 2013, Mathaf launched the Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World, a resource offering detailed biographies that have been researched by scholars and independent historians as well as essays, videos, and interviews.[11]

In March 2020, the museum closed to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with parts of the collections still being accessible online through a partnership with the Google Arts & Culture platform.[12] [13] The museum reopened in August 2020 with three new exhibitions "Lived Forward: Art and Culture in Doha from 1960-2020",[14] "Huguette Caland: Faces and Places", curated by Mohammed Rashid Al Thani[15] and "Yto Barrada: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nougat", curated by Laura Barlow.[16] [17] [18]

Wassan Al-Khudhairi was the inaugural chief curator and director of the museum, where she served from 2007–2012.[19] Michelle Dezember served as interim director from 2012–2013. Moroccan curator Abdellah Karroum was appointed director of Mathaf in June 2013, where he served until May 2021.[20] In November 2021, Qatar Museums appointed Zeina Arida, the previous director of the Sursock Museum in Beireut,[21] as the new director of Mathaf, replacing Abdellah Karroum who was reassigned as curatorial advisor to the director of the National Museum of Qatar Sheikha Amna Al Thani.[22] [23] [24]

Collection

See also: Collecting practices of the Al-Thani Family. The 5,500-square-meter (59,000-square-foot) museum, located in a former school building in Doha's Education City, has a collection of more than 9,000 artworks,[25] as communicated in 2014, that offers a rare comprehensive overview of modern Arab art, representing the major trends spanning from the 1840s to the present.[26] The collection was donated by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani to Qatar Foundation, and was later acquired by Qatar Museums Authority.[27] It is thought to be one of the largest collections of Arab-produced paintings and sculptures in the world.[28] Qatar Museums Authority chairwoman, Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al Thani, stated upon the opening of Mathaf in 2010 that, "[...] we are making Qatar the place to see, explore and discuss the creations of Arab artists of the modern era and of our own time."[29]

Exhibitions

Mathaf permanent collection exhibition occupies seven galleries in the upper floor, while the atrium and five galleries are dedicated to temporary exhibitions.[30] The museum looks at major modern and contemporary movements represented in the collection. The permanent collection includes works by Etel Adnan, Yousef Ahmad, Manal AlDowayan, Farid Belkahia, Kamal Boullata, Saloua Raouda Choucair, Jilali Gharbaoui, Shirin Neshat, Shakir Hassan Al Said, Wael Shawky, and Chaibia Talal.[31]

Mathaf opened on 30 December 2010 with an exhibition called Sajjil, which means "act of recording" in Arabic, and featured a cross-section of Arab art over the previous 100 years.[32] Simultaneously, the museum hosted Interventions (an exhibition of new commissions by five pivotal modernist Arab artists (Dia Azzawi, Farid Belkahia, Ahmed Nawar, Ibrahim el-Salahi and Hassan Sharif) and Told/Untold/Retold, an ambitious exhibition of new commissions by twenty-three contemporary Arab artists.[33]

Mathaf's following exhibition, Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab, ran from 5 December 2011 to 26 May 2012.[34] The first solo show to be organized by the museum, Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab showcased more than fifty works, including seventeen newly commissioned artworks, by the renowned contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang.[35] Saraab ("mirage") re-imagined historical relations between China and the Persian Gulf region and reaffirmed Mathaf's commitment to presenting a unique Arab perspective on modern and contemporary art. The exhibition opened with Cai Guo-Qiang's largest ever daytime explosion event, Black Ceremony.[36]

Tea with Nefertiti: the Making of the Artwork by the Artist, the Museum and the Public was held from November 2012 to March 2013.[37] Through revisiting the contested histories of how Egyptian collections have been amassed by numerous museums from the 19th century onwards, this exhibition brings together antiquities, modernist works, archives and 26 international contemporary artists and artist collectives.[38]

In November 2014, Mathaf opened the permanent exhibition "Summary, Part 1" with 8,000 pieces of contemporary art.[39] [40] "Summary, Part 2" was opened in September 2017 as an updated permanent exhibition to showcase different pieces of Mathafs collection together with two exhibitions from the FOCUS: Works from Mathaf Collection series.[41] [42]

In 2015 Mathaf started a series of solo exhibitions called FOCUS: Works from Mathaf Collection, with the featured artist all being part of the permanent collection of Mathaf. The series opened with exhibitions from artists Farid Belkahia, Abdelhalim Radwi, Faraj Daham and Inji Aflatoun[43] and was held on Mathaf's ground floor exhibition space from October 2015 to February 2016.[44]

The museums also works together with other museums and institutes like the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris or the Qatar National Library.[45] [46]

From March to May 2023 the museum hosted the exhibition "I Am The Traveler And Also The Road", which was part of the Tasweer Photo Festival.[47]

In October 2023 the Museum opened four exhibitions that were on display until March 2024. The exhibitions are meant to bring more attention to contemporary Arab art. The exhibitions consist of "Introspection as Resistance", a solo show by Iraqi artist Mehdi Moutashar, "Cities Under Quarantine: The Mailbox Project" by Lebanese artist Abed Al Kadiri, "Distilled Lessons: Abstraction in Arab Modernism" and "De/Constructed Meanings".[48]

As part of the 2024 Years of Culture initiative, some permanent galleries were updated to highlight Moroccan artist such as Chaibia Talal or Mohamed Melehi.[49] [50] [51]

Other exhibitions organized by Mathaf include:

Education initiatives

As a museum founded on the premise of education and scholarship,[92] there are a wide number of programs to engage multiple audiences including schools, universities, families, artists, and scholars. Highlights include the program Mathaf Voices, which trains local university students to give exhibition tours from their own perspectives, and Artist Encounters, which invites artists to discuss concepts and lead workshops based on their processes.[93] In 2022, the museum also cooperated with the Doha Film Institute on a short story competition for teenagers.[94] The museum also houses a library.[5]

Research initiatives

The museum, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, has published an online encyclopedia containing the biographies of Arab artists.[95] The Encyclopaedia of Modernity and the Arab World is published by Mathaf Curatorial and Research department, as a peer reviewed platform linking the museum to University.[96]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Us . June 12, 2022 . Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
  2. Web site: Qatar's MIA, Mathaf shortlisted for museum 'Oscar' awards. Doha News. Chantelle D'Mello. 26 September 2015. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130031041/https://dohanews.co/qatars-mia-mathaf-shortlisted-for-museum-oscar-awards/. 30 January 2019. dead.
  3. Web site: Reid . Sarah . From 700 million years ago to the World Cup: Inside Qatar's best museums . 2023-02-03 . CNN . en.
  4. News: Ayad . Myrna . 2015-11-05 . Whitechapel Gallery in London Brings Modern Arab Art to the World . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-02-03 . 0362-4331.
  5. Web site: MATHAF: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha. Qulture. Victoria Scott. 30 November 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140915154754/http://www.qulture.com/guide/mathaf-arab-museum-modern-art-doha. 15 September 2014.
  6. Web site: Three Inaugural Exhibitions at the Arab Museum of Modern Art. Art Asia Pacific. Sara Raza. 72. 2011. 30 November 2015.
  7. Web site: Nicolai Hartvig . 6 January 2012 . Qatar Looks to Balance Its Arts Scene . The New York Times . 30 November 2015.
  8. Web site: Davies . Clare . Review of The three opening exhibition catalogs for Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha: Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art by Nada Shabout, Deena Chalabi and Wassan al-Khudhairi; Interventions: A Dialogue Between the Modern and the Contemporary by Nada Shabout; Told/Untold/Retold: 23 Stories of Journeys Through Time and Space by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath . 2022-06-12 . Association for Modern + Contemporary Art of the Arab world, Iran + Turkey.
  9. Book: Al-Maria, Sophia . Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art . Skira . 2010 . 9788857208169 . Milan . 43 . A History of Mathaf.
  10. News: Pollack . Barbara . December 23, 2010 . The Arab Modern . artnet .
  11. Web site: Al Hitmi . Hissa . January 25, 2022 . THE MATHAF ENCYCLOPEDIA: A UNIQUE RESOURCE . June 12, 2022 . Qatar Museums.
  12. Web site: 2020-03-18 . In times of coronavirus, Qatar museums go online . 2024-02-09 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  13. Web site: 2020-03-14 . Here are the museums that have closed (so far) due to coronavirus . 2024-02-09 . The Art Newspaper.
  14. Web site: 2020-08-01 . Mathaf to launch three exhibitions tomorrow . 2023-04-11 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  15. Web site: Harb . Mohamad Khalil . 2020-11-25 . Huguette Caland's Restless Joie de Vivre . 2021-12-14 . Hyperallergic . en-US.
  16. Web site: 2020-11-01 . QM cultural activities in abundance this month . 2021-12-12 . Gulf-Times . ar.
  17. Web site: Yto Barrada . 2021-12-12 . www.mathaf.org.qa.
  18. Web site: Mathaf Reopens with Three Outstanding Exhibitions . 2024-02-09 . www.widewalls.ch . en.
  19. Web site: March 16, 2012 . Director of Mathaf to Resign . June 12, 2022 . Artforum.
  20. Web site: June 2013 . Abdellah Karroum new Director of Mathaf . 2022-06-12 . www.mathaf.org.qa.
  21. Web site: Zeina Arida . 2024-02-07 . www.cimam.org.
  22. Web site: Zeina Arida Named Director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. 2021-12-03. www.artforum.com. en-US.
  23. Web site: 2021-11-08 . QM appoints Zeina Arida as Mathaf director . 2023-02-03 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  24. Web site: ArtAsiaPacific: Mathaf Appoints New Director . 2024-02-07 . artasiapacific.com.
  25. Web site: The Collection . 2022-05-20 . Mathaf . en.
  26. Web site: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. 2021-11-30. www.visitqatar.qa. en.
  27. Web site: Qatar Opens First Museum of Modern Arab Art, a Q&A With Chief Curator. The Huffington Post. Damaris Colhoun. 29 December 2010. 29 November 2015.
  28. Web site: In Qatar, Arab modern art gets its first museum. Al Arabiya. 17 February 2011. 30 November 2015.
  29. Web site: A Smithsonian in the sand. The Economist. 29 December 2010. 30 November 2015.
  30. Web site: Mathaf Gives a New Glimpse into its Permanent Collection . 2022-10-05 . www.qna.org.qa . en.
  31. Web site: Permanent Collection . 2022-03-10 . www.mathaf.org.qa.
  32. Web site: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art . 2022-05-20 . universes.art . en-US.
  33. Web site: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art Announces Details of Its Three Opening Exhibitions. ArtDaily. 30 November 2015.
  34. Web site: Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab at Mathaf. 2021-11-30. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  35. News: Hartvig . Nicolai . 2012-01-06 . Qatar Looks to Balance Its Arts Scene . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-03-08 . 0362-4331.
  36. Web site: Mathaf's first eastward looking show – "Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab" in recap. Art Radar Journal. 21 May 2012. 30 November 2015.
  37. Web site: Tea with Nefertiti at Mathaf. 2021-11-30. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  38. Web site: Tea with Nefertiti moves to Munich. Ahram Online. 5 May 2014. 30 November 2015.
  39. Web site: Mathaf Exhibition: Summary, Part 1 . 2023-02-03 . www.qf.org.qa . en.
  40. Web site: Khatri . Shabina S. . 2014-11-02 . Qatar's Mathaf opens new permanent contemporary art collection . 2023-02-03 . Doha News Qatar . en-US.
  41. Web site: 2017-09-16 . Mathaf gives a new glimpse into its permanent collection . 2023-04-18 . All & About . en-GB.
  42. Web site: Aguilar . Joey . 2017-09-13 . Mathaf gives a new glimpse of its permanent collection . 2023-04-18 . Gulf Times . en.
  43. Web site: FOCUS: Works from Mathaf Collection . 2023-04-18.
  44. Web site: Scott . Victoria . 2015-10-13 . Five Arab artists launch new solo exhibitions at Mathaf . 2024-02-07 . Doha News Qatar . en-US.
  45. Web site: 2022-12-15 . QNL hosts exhibition to celebrate Algeria's most acclaimed artist . 2023-10-19 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  46. Web site: 2021-11-10 . ZEINA ARIDA NAMED DIRECTOR OF MATHAF: ARAB MUSEUM OF MODERN ART . 2023-10-19 . Artforum . en-US.
  47. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar 2023 • SELECTIONS ARTS MAGAZINE . 2024-06-20 . SELECTIONS ARTS MAGAZINE . en-US.
  48. Web site: Starting New Conversations About Arab Art . 2023-10-19 . The New York Times.
  49. Web site: Moroccan Artists at Mathaf Museum Years of Culture . 2024-07-23 . yearsofculture.qa . en-US.
  50. Web site: 2024-03-18 . Qatar–Morocco 2024 Year of Culture marked . 2024-07-23 . Gulf Times . en.
  51. Web site: 2024-03-19 . Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture showcases vibrant treasures of Doha . 2024-07-23 . Qatar Tribune . en.
  52. Web site: Following six-month closure, Mathaf reopens with two new complex exhibitions. Doha News. 21 November 2012. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20180711054321/https://dohanews.co/mathaf-reopens-with-two-new-exhibitions/. 11 July 2018. dead.
  53. Web site: Mathaf: Selections from the Collection. Qulture. 30 November 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140229/http://www.qulture.com/calendar/mathaf-selections-collection. 4 March 2016.
  54. Web site: Mathaf's collection a document of modern Arab art history: Director. Qatar Tribune. Ramy Salama. 3 September 2013. 30 November 2015.
  55. Web site: Adel Abdessemed L'âge d'or. Arts Qatar. 2 September 2013. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20181007185137/http://www.artsqatar.com/index.php/news-happenings/news-events/item/238-adel-abdessemed-l-age-d-or. 7 October 2018. dead.
  56. Web site: Egyptian artist inaugurates Mathaf's Project Space. Qatar Tribune. Ramy Salama. 27 November 2013. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305223112/http://www.qatar-tribune.com/viewnews.aspx?n=6CF7C6EF-0F12-4C58-8D22-743B9DE0B289&d=20131127. 5 March 2016. dead.
  57. Web site: Mathaf: The Paintings, Sculptures and Projects Garden Exhibition. Art Kuwait. 18 December 2013. 30 November 2015.
  58. Web site: Some of the most important works by the Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum are at Doha's Mathaf. The National. Anna Seaman. 17 February 2014. 30 November 2015.
  59. Web site: Mathaf Invites Artist To Show Her Creative Process. Qatar Foundation Telegraph. 18 February 2014. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121131345/https://www.qf.org.qa/page?a=996&lang=en-CA. 21 January 2018. dead.
  60. Web site: Etel Adnan's works on display at Mathaf. The Peninsula. 17 March 2014. 30 November 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011848/http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/qatar/276308/etel-adnan-s-works-on-display-at-mathaf. 5 March 2016.
  61. Web site: Ghadah Alkandari. Mathaf. 30 November 2015.
  62. Web site: Artist Shirin Neshat's first regional solo exhibition opens in Qatar. Doha News. Shabina S. Khatri. 9 November 2014. 30 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20190202093159/https://dohanews.co/artist-shirin-neshats-first-regional-solo-exhibition-opens-qatar/. 2 February 2019. dead.
  63. Web site: Wael Shawky: Crusades and Other Stories at Mathaf. 2021-12-02. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  64. Web site: DIA AL-AZZAWI: A RETROSPECTIVE. 2021-12-02. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  65. Web site: Hassan Sharif - Mathaf . 2023-04-11 . www.alexandergray.com.
  66. Web site: FOCUS: Works from the Mathaf Collection . 2023-04-11 . Apollo Magazine . en-US.
  67. Web site: 2017-03-13 . New installation at Mathaf showcases Magdy's work . 2023-04-11 . Qatar Tribune . en.
  68. Web site: Project Space 12 Bouthayna Al-Muftah: Echoes . 2023-02-03 . Artsy . en.
  69. Web site: Fateh al-Moudarres. 2021-12-10. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  70. Web site: Mounira Al Solh: I strongly believe in our right to be frivolous . 2023-04-11 . Artforum . en-US.
  71. Web site: Raqs Media Collective. 2021-12-02. www.mathaf.org.qa.
  72. Web site: 2020-10-06. Mathaf to release M.F. Husain: Horses of the Sun publication. 2021-12-10. thepeninsulaqatar.com. en.
  73. Web site: El Anatsui: Triumphant Scale. 2021-12-09. www.artforum.com. en-US.
  74. Web site: Kader Attia: On Silence opens at Mathaf. 2021-12-07. TimeOut. 13 November 2021 .
  75. Web site: Chan. TF. 2021-11-13. Kader Attia dissects multiculturalism, colonialism and capitalism in Doha show. 2021-12-07. Wallpaper*.
  76. Web site: Dadu's Light Atelier . 2024-01-10 . Mathaf . en.
  77. Web site: 2022-07-13 . Kids invited to visit Dadu's Light Atelier at Mathaf . 2024-01-10 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  78. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Mathaf unveils four exhibitions showcasing MENASA region . 2022-09-20 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  79. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Qatar's vibrant art scene is focus at four stunning exhibitions . 2022-09-20 . Gulf-Times .
  80. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Mathaf unveils four exhibitions showcasing MENASA region . 2022-09-20 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  81. Web site: 2022-09-15 . Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art presents four exhibitions, showcasing artists from across region . 2022-09-20 . Gulf-Times .
  82. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Mathaf unveils four exhibitions showcasing MENASA region . 2022-09-21 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  83. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Qatar's vibrant art scene is focus at four stunning exhibitions . 2022-09-21 . Gulf-Times .
  84. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Mathaf unveils four exhibitions showcasing MENASA region . 2022-09-27 . thepeninsulaqatar.com . en.
  85. Web site: 2022-09-15 . Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art presents four exhibitions, showcasing artists from across region . 2022-09-27 . Gulf-Times .
  86. Web site: Almaha Almaadeed: Inspired by the Land . 2022-11-18 . Marhaba Qatar . en-GB.
  87. Web site: Almaha Almaadeed: Inspired by the Land . 2022-11-18 . www.qacreates.com . en.
  88. Web site: 2023-03-16 . QM launches Beirut exhibition at Mathaf . 2023-04-05 . Gulf Times . en.
  89. Web site: 2023-10-01 . VCUarts Qatar holds exhibition to mark 25th anniversary . 2023-10-20 . Gulf Times . en.
  90. Web site: Aguilar . Joey . 2024-05-06 . Mathaf presents ‘Khalid Albaih: Shahid’ exhibition . 2024-06-20 . Gulf Times . en.
  91. Web site: 2024-06-03 . 'Shahid' by Khalid Albaih at Mathaf • SELECTIONS ARTS MAGAZINE . 2024-07-23 . SELECTIONS ARTS MAGAZINE . en-US.
  92. News: Colhoun . Damarais . December 29, 2010 . Qatar Opens First Museum of Modern Arab Art, a Q&A With Chief Curator . Huffington Post . June 12, 2022.
  93. Web site: January 27, 2013 . Doha's Mathaf puts Arab art on the world map . June 12, 2022 . Al Bawaba.
  94. Web site: 2022-09-12 . Mathaf announces short story competition in collaboration with Doha Film Institute . 2023-10-20 . Gulf Times . en.
  95. Mathaf Encyclopedia Of Modern Art And The Arab World. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings. 1. Joanne Lisinski . Nada Shabout . Samia Touati . 10.5339/qfarc.2014.SSPP1043. 2014. 30 November 2015.
  96. Web site: Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World. 2021-12-03. www.encyclopedia.mathaf.org.qa.

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