Mathaf – a window to Qatari art

The Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art opened its new exhibition, ‘Swalif: Qatari Art Between Memory and Modernity’ earlier this week, displaying the works of 23 artists and their responses to Qatar through some 75 pieces of art.The exhibition is the second to be held at the premises, which were opened last year, and presents an opportunity to explore the work of local artists and others who have been inspired by the development of the country from its traditional roots of pearl diving through to modern society.The pieces are on a variety of media, including oil paintings, watercolours, ceramics, wood, prints and mixed media.Vice chairperson of Qatar Museum’s Authority, HE Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali al-Thani, whose work ‘Saqr’ is the newest item in the collection, said: “The exhibition represents a great opportunity for visitors to explore the development of modern art in Qatar – Mathaf will showcase some of the best artwork by Qatari artists, demonstrating that there has been a vibrant art scene going back several decades.”The oldest piece in the exhibition ‘The Bisht Maker’ by Abdulwahed al-Mawlawi was created in 1965, while al-Thani’s ‘Saqr’ – a falcon-inspired dress, was created in 2006.“The Arabic word “swalif” suggests friendly, informal conversations and stories,” explained a Mathaf spokesperson, adding “Swalif invites visitors to explore their own responses to Qatar’s art story and the relationships between modernity, memory and art.”Director of Mathaf, Wassan al-Khudairi stated: “We look forward to inspiring our visitors to engage in new dialogues about Qatari modern art, and to explore for themselves how artists in Qatar have responded to the tensions between nostalgia, modernity, and the search for an aesthetic identity.”The other artists included in the exhibition, as well as al-Mawlawi and al-Thani, are Yousef Ahmad, Ali Hassan, Faraj Daham, Mohamed al-Jaidah, Mohamed Ali Abdulla, Ahmed al-Asadi, Mohamed al-Atiq, Wafika Sultan Saif al-Essa, Essa al-Ghanem, Ahmed al-Haddad, Wafa al-Hamad, Ahmad al -Hamar, Saif al-Kuwari, Salman al-Malik, Essa al-Malki, Hassan al-Mulla, Abdulrahman al-Mutawah, Majid Hilal al-Naimi, Ali Sharif, Sultan al-Sulaiti and Jassim Zaini.The exhibition is also running a number of outreach programmes and educational workshops aimed at engaging the local community with modern art and its relationship with Qatar.The Artist Encounters series will continue to run, and Mathaf will also introduce a programme to promote dialogue between artists and the local community here, explained the spokesperson.Senior curatorial advisor for the exhibition is local artist Yousef Ahmed who is working alongside assistant curators Mariam Helmy and Fatima Mostafawi. The exhibition was designed by Reem al-Thani.At the exhibition opening Ahmed stated: “The unveiling of the collection on the 14th night of the holy month of Ramadan, which is a very important occasion and special for Muslims, marks the relevance of the latest exhibition of Mathaf. The event provides a link between the memories of Qatar of yore and its evolution into modernity.”“There is a story behind every artwork on display at this expo,” he noted, adding “this event recognises the artistry of Qatar and the future of the Qatari art scene.”Entry to the exhibition, which runs until October 29, is free of charge and during Ramadan the museum is open from 10am until 2pm every day except for Thursday and Saturday, when it is also open from 8pm until 11pm, and Monday and Friday when it is closed.