DOHA: Unveiling an unsurpassed collection of modern Arab art, the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, yesterday. The event attended by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, international dignitaries, leaders of prominent cultural institutions, scholars, artists and international media, opened doors to an unprecedented new centre for Arab culture and creativity.
"With the opening of Mathaf, we make Qatar the place to see, explore and discuss the creations of Arab artists of the modern era and our own time," said H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QMA Chairperson. "We are proud that Qatar is now revealing these artistic achievements in unprecedented depth and breadth, just as our Museum of Islamic Art opened vast new perspectives on our centuries-old heritage."
"The museum will represent a rare study on true Arab art," said Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, the Vice Chairperson, Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) Broad of Trustees and the Founder of Mathaf. "Nobody knows where Arab art began and where it stands today. It is one of the least studied areas in art."
Mathaf, meaning "museum" in Arabic, is the first institution of its kind in the region, and will foster creativity, promote dialogue and inspire new ideas about modern and contemporary Arab art. The 5,500-square-metre temporary museum, located in a former school building in the Education City, has a collection that represents the major trends and sites of production of modern Arab art spanning the 1840s through
the present.
The first ever effort to record Arab art, offers a rare comprehensive overview of modern Arab art with its unparalleled collection of more than 6,000 works.
"There is an urgent need for the world to know what Modern Arab art is. Collectors and curators are increasingly drawn toward the work of contemporary Arab artists. But today's artistic activities can truly flourish only if they are connected meaningfully to the important history that lies behind these achievements. Mathaf deepens the conversation about Arab art and helps advance the creativity of the Arab world This is the start of a movement of Modern Arab Art and it will set ground for Middle Eastern Arab Artists," he told the media prior to the opening
The inaugural ceremony yesterday featured live entertainment spearheaded by Yassin Alsalman (aka The Narcicyst) under the heading 'Identity Card: Who We Were, Where We Are'. The line-up of music and poetry underscored the opening event's theme of the resurgence of Arab artistic expression from the East and the West.
© The Peninsula 2010
