Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art presents four exhibitions, showcasing artists from across region

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art president HE Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali al-Thani inaugurated four art exhibitions on Thursday, showcasing the works of renowned artists from across the region. The exhibitions, under the patronage of Qatar Museums (QM) chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, form part of Qatar Creates and reflect the creative power and heritage of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (Menasa) region in celebration of the Qatar – Menasa Year of Culture 2022.

The exhibitions, open to the public from September 16, are Sophia al-Maria: Invisible Labours daydream therapy; Taysir Batniji: No Condition is Permanent; One Tiger or Another, a research exhibition for a major new project, Rubaiyat Qatar, an art quadrennial that will be presented in its inaugural edition across Qatar in 2024; and a group show Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar, featuring works from alumni of the Fire Station’s Artist in Residence (AIR) programme.

In a press statement, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said: “For more than a decade, Mathaf has amplified the voices of artists who share cultural and historical connections with Qatar, and has inspired our local community by providing exposure to artists offering Arab perspectives. Mathaf fulfills this mission through a diverse selection of exhibitions, whether Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria with her first show in the region, Taysir Batniji’s work centred on his time living in Palestine or works from alumni of the Fire Station’s Artist in Residence programme whose creations may be their first to appear in a museum, these exhibitions reinforce that there is no one Arab voice, perspective, or experience. Rounding out the programme at Mathaf is our first exploration into an exciting new initiative, Rubaiyat Qatar, which will transform Qatar into a nationwide exhibition of contemporary Arab art every four years, debuting in 2024.”Mathaf director Zeina Arida said: “We are thrilled to present a programme encompassing a diverse cross-section of exceptional contemporary Arab artists whose backgrounds span borders and whose works utilise a variety of disciplines and subjects. Mathaf is the modern art hub in Qatar where visitors can interact and experiment with new art forms from contemporary artists."Sophia al-Maria: Invisible Labours daydream therapy, running until January 2023, brings together existing and new works for the Qatari-American artist’s first major museum exhibition in the Middle East. For this show, al-Maria, invites a group of artists, curators, scholars, and communities into a dialogue around histories and futures and the Gulf’s relation to the surrounding regions. The exhibition consists of installations, video-work, commissioned soundscapes, workshops, conversations, drawings and online screening and meetings. The exhibition is curated by researcher and independent curator Amal Alhaag in collaboration with Mathaftarget="_blank"'>