Al Markhiya Gallery is holding a new art exhibition under the title "Art Book" at Fire Station: Artist in Residence. The event will continue for two months.
The exhibition features 33 artists affiliated with schools from around the Arab world, including five Qataris who will showcase their innovations and skills to connoisseurs of the arts.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Markhiya Gallery art co-ordinator Anas Kotait said that each of the 33 artists would present two artworks.
He indicated that Al Markhiya Gallery was chosen as a symbol for “Art Book” because the exhibition coincides with the Ministry of Culture's announcement of launching the Doha International Book Fair in June.
The ministry recently organised a book exhibition during Ramadan last month, which featured Arab publishing houses.
Kotait said that Qatar has been keen to accentuate the value of books and organise initiatives that would highlight the role of books in the Arab world.
He added that the exhibition takes place during a season that will see a myriad of artistic events, with Al Markhiya Gallery keen to maintain its activities throughout the year.
In a similar statement to QNA, artist Faraj Daham said his participation in the exhibition features a scroll of paper close to the old manuscript, which he traced to the time of the pre-Islamic era.
Artist Najat Makki from United Arab Emirates told QNA that Al Markhiya Gallery has been keen to showcase artwork of artists from Arab world, and pointed out that the artists have been working on the topic of “book” in their own way, with various materials and ideas.
