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Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art opened “Resolutions: Celebrating 15 years of Mathaf Exhibition” and “we refuse_d” to the public Friday, honouring its roots in Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali al-Thani’s foundational collection and confronting the struggles of artists who face censorship and displacement.“Resolutions”, on view until August 8, 2026, explores the institution’s journey, showcasing four areas that cover its origins and impact on the region.The section “Infrastructure: Traces of a Legacy”, curated by Fatima Mostafawi, examines the museum as a complex case study rooted in the vision of artist and collector Sheikh Hassan.It details how Doha emerged as an artistic hub during the political turmoil of the 1990s and includes archival materials like letters, photographs, and video interviews that capture Sheikh Hassan’s role as both fellow artist and patron.The exhibition continues its self-examination with “Mathaf as Institutional Memory: An Exhibition History”, curated by Hadeel al-Kohaji, which chronicles the “kaleidoscopic range” of exhibitions the museum has hosted.This section utilises an elaborate timeline and backstage documents to foster a sense of institutional memory, valuing the museum’s publications, graphic design, and international partnerships.“Resolution” broadens its scope to the regional impact of art, featuring “Education: Art as Knowledge Creation”, curated by Noora Abdulmajeed.This underscores the foundational role of art education in cultivating revolutionary possibilities and knowledge circulation within the Arab world.“Representation and the Writing of History”, curated by Arthur Debsi, spotlights how artists in West Asia and North Africa used a shared visual language in the post-independence era to define a Pan-Arab ideology and continuous resistance, especially in relation to the occupation of Palestine.Addressing contemporary issues, “we refuse_d” exhibition, curated by Nadia Radwan and Vasif Kortun, brings together 15 artists whose practices explore refusal, endurance, and action.On view until February 9, 2026, this exhibition asks critical questions about how to persist, resist, and create under conditions of silencing, censorship, and displacement.Speaking to the media, Kortun said: “To see other people’s misery it’s not what we really wanted to do and we kind of turned the idea of refusal around its head... we know of the concrete cases of cancelations but what we don’t know is the untold, or unwritten or unknowable history of refusals and cancellations.”Among the highlights of this exhibition are Abdul Hay Mosallam Zarara’s *Untitled, from the Mahmoud Darwish series (2008), the newly commissioned installation *Resonance (2025) by Majd Abdel Hamid, Samia Halaby’s *Six Golden Heroes (2021), and Taysir Batniji’s early work *Untitled (1997).

3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) has opened “Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street”, a major touring exhibition from London’s Design Museum, making its Middle East debut in Doha until March 7, 2026.Unveiled by Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the exhibition traces the design and cultural evolution of sneakers – shoes that began as athletic gear and grew into a global phenomenon shaping sport, style, and identity.Featuring more than 200 pairs of sneakers displayed alongside photographs, films, and archival materials, the exhibition offers an immersive journey through sneaker history.Highlights include rare and limited-edition designs as well as an exclusive presentation of Virgil Abloh’s celebrated sneaker creations.“’Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street’ reflects our ongoing commitment to exploring the intersection of sport, design, and culture,” said QOSM president Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulla al-Thani. “This exhibition celebrates how innovation and creativity have transformed something as everyday as a shoe into a global cultural phenomenon.”“By hosting this show in Doha, we continue to engage diverse audiences, inspire the next generation, and highlight the universal power of sport as a unifying force that transcends borders and disciplines,” he said.The exhibition explores sneaker culture through two key lenses: style and performance.The exhibition highlights how innovation and design have revolutionised athletic footwear, transforming the way athletes train and compete.It also delves into the cultural impact of sneakers, revealing how they have become enduring symbols of identity, creativity, and self-expression across generations and communities.“Over the past 50 years, sneakers have evolved from a sports shoe to the most prominent form of footwear in the world with well over a billion pairs sold last year alone,” said Design Museum chief executive and director Tim Marlow. “This exhibition explores a global design phenomenon that has fascinated everyone from sneakerheads to world class athletes, a complex and captivating mixture of technical innovation, high performance problem solving and street-style sub-cultures.”“Sneakers Unboxed” in Doha is part of the legacy of the Qatar-UK 2013 Year of Culture, a wide-ranging celebration of shared cultural ties between Qatar and the UK.The exhibition is presented as part of "Evolution Nation", an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar.Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation’s cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future.

A stockpile of more than 350 letters and correspondence, dating back to 1975, provided the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) with the intimate and untold story of its founding, highlighted at a major exhibition celebrating the institution’s 50th anniversary.“The biggest discovery (during the research and planning stage) for us who work in the museum were the correspondence, old letters which we found in the storage of our museums,” NMoQ’s Research and Collections deputy director Dr Abdullah Mohammed al-Sulaiti told reporters.He said that when they opened the box and discovered the old, the hidden letters came as a shock, a find that allowed them to piece together the story of the old museum.The exhibition, titled “A Nation’s Legacy, A People’s Memory: Fifty Years Told running until February 7, 2026”, traces the museum’s evolution from its inception in 1975 as the first national museum in the region to its reinvention in 2019 in the iconic structure designed by French architect Jean Nouvel.Such discovery, Dr al-Sulaiti added, offers a raw, firsthand account of the huge logistical and technological challenges faced by the museum’s original architects and curators.“We understand exactly what they are thinking and the difficulties of doing that project at that time,” he said. “There is no Internet, there is no e-mail, there is nothing (of that sort).”“They only have telephone and Telex, it’s a very old machine at that time,” he said, pointing out the contrast with modern communication.Dr al-Sulaiti said that the documents show that early museum staff often had to travel extensively to collect information and objects, highlighting the rigorous dedication required in the pre-digital era.The exhibition begins at Temporary Gallery 13, guiding visitors through the museum’s history from its establishment, an idea initiated in 1972 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, to its present state.The mission was, and remains, to collect and display the history, traditions, and natural environment of Qatar.The Qatar National Museum officially opened in 1975 within the Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Palace, the restoration of which earned the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1980.Key historical artifacts are on display, including some of the newly discovered correspondence.Highlights include the brass opening piece from the 1975 inauguration, displayed next to a photograph of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa.The exhibition also features contemporary re-creations of beloved features from the original site, such as the famous Earth Dome.According to Qatar Museums, the exhibition weaves together personal stories of individuals who contributed to the museum’s legacy alongside archival photographs that trace its role in chronicling Qatar’s national transformation.The exhibition also showcases the work of artists Shouq al-Mana and Khalifa al-Thani, whose pieces reflect national identity and resilience.Among these is Khalifa al-Thani’s Pearls Don’t Lie on the Sand, which transforms the traditional dhow into a luminous sculpture symbolising discovery.A major feature is Yousef Fakhoor’s installation, Echoes of time, The Four Doors.Using sound, light, and video, the piece unfolds a poetic journey through Qatar’s past, present, and imagined future.Each of the four symbolic doors invites reflection, bridging generations by presenting moments in time, from a young girl’s whispered prayer in 1975 to a vision of Qatar in 2050.

The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has unveiled “Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight”, an immersive exhibition that explores the life cycles, habitats, and ecological significance of Qatar’s sea turtles.The exhibition focuses on the endangered Hawksbill turtle, the only sea turtle species that nests on Qatar’s beaches, and reflects the nation’s natural endowment.The exhibition was inaugurated by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), in the attendance of QM chief executive Mohammed Saad al-Rumaihi, NMoQ director Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Thani and other dignitaries.Taking its name from the local term for a sea turtle, “Lehmesa” celebrates the resilience of the Hawksbill turtle, and reflects the nation’s commitment to protecting its biodiversity.On view from today until February 7, 2026, the exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of the NMoQ, a milestone that honours five decades of preserving and sharing the nation’s cultural and natural legacy.Through six immersive sections, “Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight” traces the Hawksbill’s journey from land to sea, offering visitors a sensory-rich experience inspired by Qatar’s coastlines, coral reefs, and marine habitats.Blending environmental science with creative interpretation, the exhibition features works by London-based artist Josh Gluckstein and encourages visitors to reflect on their role in sustaining the balance of the natural world.As part of the exhibition’s public programming, the NMoQ will host a series of events, workshops, and educational activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) and Qatar University.These initiatives are aimed at deepening public understanding of marine biodiversity and conservation, engaging families, students, and communities in hands-on learning experiences that highlight the importance of Qatar’s coastal ecosystems.“Lehmesa: Return by Moonlight” is presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the NMoQ.Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation’s cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future.The exhibition explores the turtle within the context of Qatar’s identity, aligning with the Years of Culture initiative, which shares Qatar’s cultural heritage with partner nations.

The National Museum of Korea will open a new permanent exhibition dedicated to Islamic history and culture next month, offering visitors a glimpse into one of the world’s most influential civilisations. In collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, the Islamic gallery will open Nov 22 on the third floor of the museum’s World Art Gallery. This marks the first time the museum has established a permanent space devoted to Islamic culture.

Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani unveiled the major retrospective “A Nation’s Legacy, A People’s Memory: Fifty Years Told” on Thursday, marking the official kickoff of the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ)’s 50th-anniversary celebrations across Doha. The celebration featured the recognition of major donors, the prestigious Anniversary Awards Dinner, themed *Recognising Evolution – A Journey from Tradition to Tomorrow, and the “Taste Evolution: Collaboration Dinner”, presented by Qatar Creates. **media[373167]** The opening was attended by QM chief executive Mohammed Saad al-Rumaihi and NMoQ director Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Thani, among other dignitaries and guests. “A Nation’s Legacy” chronicles the NMoQ’s journey, from its establishment in 1975 as the region’s first national museum to its reinvention in 2019 as a cutting-edge experiential institution housed within an iconic building designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. **media[373173]** According to the QM, the NMoQ’s 50th-anniversary festivities began on October 22 with a symbolic voyage of the historical dhow Fateh Al Khair. Bearing the museum’s logo, the dhow sailed along the Doha Corniche, serving as a visual narrative of continuity, resilience, and transformation. **media[373169]** The ceremony was enhanced by cultural maritime performances, featuring renowned Qatari singer Munsoor al-Muhannadi, highlighting the museum’s role as a vital bridge between past heritage and future generations. “For half a century, the NMoQ has safeguarded the legacy of our nation and our national treasures while continually developing new means of storytelling through the latest advances in technology,” Sheikh Abdulaziz said in a press statement. **media[373168]** “With ‘A Nation’s Legacy, A People’s Memory: Fifty Years Told’, we invite audiences to join us in celebrating the institution’s remarkable record of honouring our heritage while imagining what is to come.” NMoQ Research and Collections deputy director Dr Abdullah Mohammed al-Sulaiti told reporters during the press preview that extensive public programming will form part of the exhibition, aimed at nurturing creativity, learning, and cultural participation across all age groups. Key among these initiatives is “NMoQ Late: Our Heritage, By Young NMoQ”, which aims to empower teenagers by offering creative expression opportunities, after-hours access, and culturally relevant initiatives. This effort seeks to position the museum as a vital “third space”, a welcoming environment where youth can connect, collaborate, develop skills, and build a sense of ownership within the community. The QM added that the NMoQ’s learning and outreach programmes, such as workshops, educational activities, and immersive experiences, will further connect audiences with Qatar’s heritage. Specialised culinary initiatives like collaborations with Chef Noof, Desert Rose, and cooking classes at Jiwan will explore food as a living heritage, demonstrating how traditional practices are preserved, adapted, and celebrated today. These programmes will transform the exhibition from a historical survey into a vibrant, interactive journey celebrating Qatar’s past, present, and future. The QM noted that the anniversary celebrations included a special tribute dedicated to the significant donations that have enriched the QM’s collections and sustained the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage. These gifts were highlighted as a reflection of deep civic pride and the shared commitment of individuals, families, and institutions to safeguarding Qatar’s legacy. The celebrations also featured a live musical performance from Dana al-Meer and Hala al-Emadi, who reflected Qatar’s evolving national identity through a lively fusion of traditional Arabic and modern sounds. It concluded with “Taste Evolution: The Collaboration Dinner”, a culinary experience crafted by Chef Noof al-Marri and QC+’s Michelin-starred Chef Jeremy Cheminade, blending authentic Qatari flavours with contemporary techniques.

Qatar Museums (QM), in collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) New Delhi, is set to present The Rooted Nomad: MF Husain, an immersive exhibition having recourse to works by Maqbool Fida Husain (1913–2011), one of India’s iconic artists. Following its inaugural presentation at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2024, The Rooted Nomad: MF Husain will be on view from October 28 to February 7, 2026 at QM Gallery Katara. It will be presented as a fully immersive, multi-sensory experiential project tracing Husain’s itinerant spirit and artistic pursuits from his formative years in India to his last years spent in Doha as a citizen of Qatar.The title captures the dual essence of Husain’s life — his deep connections to his homeland and his nomadic, cosmopolitan spirit. Through the artist’s distinguished portfolio of works that weave together myth, memory, and modernity, the exhibition reflects Husain’s vision of India as both an ancient civilisation and a postcolonial nation.Drawing upon a reserve of mythologies, shared histories, literature and manifestations, Husain articulated his harmonised vision of a modern India through a lexicon of symbolic iconographies anchored in a secular artistic sensibility. The dynamic visual panorama is created from images of more than 80 of Husain’s representative works interlaced with textual material that includes his photographs, drawings, poems, cinema posters, and rarely seen archival material. Central to Husain’s artistic inquiry is a restless consciousness, shaped by a lifetime of movement and encounters that make us dwell upon ideas of mobility, migration, moving across borders and beyond geographical and cultural boundaries.In a press statement, Sheikha Reem al-Thani, acting deputy CEO of Exhibitions, Public Art, and Rubaiya Qatar and Director of Central Exhibitions at QM, said: “Husain’s vision—spanning continents, histories, and identities—reflects the spirit of exchange that defines Qatar’s cultural landscape today. This immersive exhibition offers audiences a renewed encounter with an artist whose work continues to inspire global conversations on belonging and creativity.”Conceived and curated by KNMA and visualised and designed by Visioni Srl, Rome, the immersive experience has been reimagined since its inaugural presentation in Venice to introduce new spatial and sensory experiences. The immersive attempts to unpack expanded notions of the idea of ‘yatra’ or journey, both as a crux to civilisational ethos and artistic calling as well as a metaphor for transformation.The complex production integrates motion graphics, live action, 2D and 3D animation, choreography, and sound design. It offers a deeply humanistic and unifying vision, seamlessly blending Husain’s versatile oeuvre to narrate the complex story of this singular figure while reminding audiences of shared narratives that connect people across geographies and generations.Roobina Karode, director and chief curator at KNMA, said: “The Rooted Nomad aims to bring to new audiences the creative journey of the artist with his striking composite quasi-abstract language melding calligraphy, idealised motifs from ancient Indian reliefs and folk traditions, pictorially representing varied themes including the Mahabharata, Karbala and The Last Supper with poetic brevity”.The exhibition is presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar, and builds on the legacy of the Qatar–India 2019 Year of Culture.

The loot stolen from the Louvre during the weekend heist is valued at more than $100 million, a French prosecutor said Tuesday, as scrutiny mounted over security at the country's cultural institutions.Thieves on Sunday made off with priceless royal jewels from the Louvre museum in a brazen daylight robbery which lasted just seven minutes."The Louvre curator estimated the damages to be 88 million euros," or $102 million, said Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, calling it an "extraordinary" sum.But she said the greater loss was to France's historical heritage, adding that the thieves would not pocket the full windfall if they had "the very bad idea of melting down these jewels".The theft is the latest from French museums in recent months, and has left authorities scrambling to increase protection measures.In a separate case, a prosecutor said on Tuesday that a Chinese woman had been charged over taking part in the theft of more than $1 million worth of gold nuggets from another Paris museum last month.Scores of investigators were still looking for Sunday's culprits, working on the theory that it was an organised crime group that clambered up a ladder on a truck to break into the museum, then dropped a diamond-studded crown as they fled.Beccuau confirmed that four people were involved in Sunday's robbery and said authorities were analysing fingerprints found at the scene.Detectives were scouring video camera footage from around the Louvre as well as of main highways out of Paris for signs of the four robbers, who escaped on scooters.The heist has reignited a row over the lack of security in French museums, after two other institutions were hit last month.A report by France's Court of Auditors seen by AFP covering 2019 to 2024 points to a "persistent" delay in security upgrades at the Louvre. Only a fourth of one wing was covered by video surveillance.In January, Louvre president Laurence des Cars warned Culture Minister Rachida Dati of a "worrying level of obsolescence", citing the urgent need for major renovations.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez on Monday said he would tighten security outside cultural institutions.In Sunday's heist, thieves parked a truck with an extendable ladder, like those used by movers, below the museum's Apollo Gallery shortly after it opened, climbing up and using cutting equipment to get through a window and open the display cases to steal the jewellery.They made off with eight priceless pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his wife, Empress Marie-Louise and a diadem that once belonged to the Empress Eugenie, which is dotted with nearly 2,000 diamonds.The museum on Tuesday hit back at criticism that the display cases protecting the jewellery were fragile, saying they were installed in 2019 and "represented a considerable improvement in terms of security".Just last month, criminals broke into Paris's Natural History Museum, making off with gold nuggets worth more than $1.5 million.French authorities announced on Tuesday a 24-year-old Chinese woman has been charged and put in detention in that case after she was arrested in Barcelona, while trying to dispose of nearly one kilogram of melted gold pieces.Also last month, thieves stole two dishes and a vase from a museum in the central city of Limoges, the losses estimated at $7.6 million."Museums are increasingly targeted for the valuable works they hold," according to the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property.Labour unions have complained that security staff positions at the Louvre have been cut, even as attendance at the world-famous museum, whose extensive collections include the Mona Lisa, has soared."We cannot do without physical surveillance," a union official said.The Louvre was shut per its usual schedule on Tuesday, having been closed on Sunday and Monday after the heist, leaving crowds of disappointed tourists.

The Louvre was closed for a second day Monday as police hunted for thieves who broke in and stole priceless royal jewels in a spectacular daylight robbery.Officials said a team of 60 investigators was working on the theory that an organised crime group was behind the theft Sunday of nine pieces of jewellery, one of which -- a crown covered in more than 1,000 diamonds -- they dropped in the streets of Paris as they fled.As disappointed tourists rebooked tickets to the world's most visited museum, the heist -- which lasted just seven minutes -- also reignited a row over the lack of security in France's museums, after two other institutions were hit last month.Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin admitted to flaws in securing the Louvre."What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels, giving France a terrible image," he told France Inter radio on Monday.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has ordered better protection measures around cultural sites, his advisers said.A report by France's Court of Auditors seen by AFP covering 2019 to 2024 points to a "persistent" delay in the museum's security upgrades, with for example just a fourth of one wing of the museum covered by video surveillance.The thieves arrived at around 9:30 am (0730 GMT) on Sunday, shortly after the museum opened at 9:00 am, sources and officials said.They parked a truck with an extendable ladder like those used by movers below the Paris museum's Apollo Gallery, clambering up and using cutting equipment to get in through a window and open the display cases.The world-famous institution, whose extensive collections include the Mona Lisa, may not open again until Wednesday, as it is usually shut on Tuesdays.Shortly before the announcement it was staying closed, queues of impatient visitors had snaked their way across the museum's pyramid courtyard and under the tall arches of the main entrance gallery, hoping to get in.US tourist Jesslyn Ehlers, 38, and her husband were busy rebooking their tickets."We're just kind of disappointed. We've been planning this for a very long time," she said.Carol Fuchs, an elderly tourist from the United States, had been standing in line for more than three-quarters of an hour."The audacity, coming through a window," she told AFP after the disappearance of the jewels."Will they ever be found? I doubt it. I think it's long gone," she said.The masked thieves dropped and damaged the crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, as they made their escape. It is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum's website.But eight priceless items of jewellery remain missing, according to the culture ministry.The list they released included an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his wife, Empress Marie-Louise.Also stolen was a diadem that once belonged to the Empress Eugenie, which is dotted with nearly 2,000 diamonds, and a necklace that once belonged to Marie-Amelie, the last queen of France. It is adorned with eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, according to the Louvre's website.The loot would be impossible to sell on in its current state, said Alexandre Giquello, president of the leading auction house Drouot.The raid -- which saw some 2,000 people evacuated from the museum -- is thought to have been carried out by an experienced team, possibly "foreigners", Nunez has said.The intervention of museum staff forced the thieves to flee, leaving behind some of the equipment used in the raid, the culture ministry said.It was the first theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Camille Corot was stolen and never seen again.France's museums have previously come under criticism for poor security, with many viewed as being less secure than banks and seemingly increasingly targeted by thieves.Last month, criminals broke into Paris's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples worth $700,000.The same month, thieves stole two dishes and a vase from a museum in the central city of Limoges, the losses estimated at $7.6 million.

Thieves struck after museum opened its doors to publicRaid took just four minutes, culture minister saysCrane mounted on truck used to break upstairs window Thieves broke into Paris' Louvre museum by using a crane and smashing an upstairs window on Sunday, stealing priceless jewellery from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes, the French government said. The robbery is likely to raise awkward questions about security at the museum, where officials had already sounded the alarm about lack of investment at a world-famous site that welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2024. The thieves struck at about 9.30am (0730 GMT) when the museum had already opened its doors to the public, and entered the Galerie d'Apollon building, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The robbery took around four minutes, Culture Minister Rachida Dati told TF1, and it was carried out by professionals. "We saw some footage: they don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave. No violence, very professional," she said on TF1. She said one piece of jewellery had been recovered outside the museum, apparently dropped as they made their escape. Dati declined to say what the item was, but newspaper Le Parisien said it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie. The jewel was broken, the newspaper said. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France Inter that three or four thieves got into the museum from outside using a crane that was positioned on a truck. "They broke a window, headed to several display cases and stole jewels ... which have a real historical, priceless value," Nunez said. A video posted on X by a museum guide showed visitors filing towards exits in the middle of their tour, initially unaware of the reason for the disruption. Nunez said a probe had been opened, with a specialized police unit that has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies such as this one tasked with running it. No injuries were reported, Dati said. The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, said on X it would remain closed for the day for "exceptional reasons". In one of the most daring art thefts in history, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the museum in 1911 in a heist involving a former employee. He was eventually caught and the painting was returned to the museum two years later. Earlier this year, officials at the Louvre requested urgent help from the French government to restore and renovate the museum's ageing exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art. Dati said the issue of museum security was not new. "For 40 years, there was little focus on securing these major museums, and two years ago, the president of the Louvre requested a security audit from the police prefect. Why? Because museums must adapt to new forms of crime," she said. "Today, it's organised crime - professionals."

The Protection and Social Rehabilitation Center (Aman), part of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, wrapped up the Light Exhibition held in partnership with Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar.The month-long exhibition showcased Aman’s awareness workshops, engaging students from kindergartens and both public and private schools.In this context, Aman Center’s Acting Executive Director Fadel Mohammed al-Kaabi said the Light Exhibition aimed to foster public awareness and education on social protection, while strengthening child safety measures and nurturing children’s creative and innovative abilities.He emphasised that the exhibition provided an educational environment and a unique opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills using new tools such as light and shadow.Al-Kaabi further noted that more than 20 schools were invited, targeting over 300 students from primary levels in both public and private schools, in addition to students from the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities, children from Dreama Center for Orphan Care, and children benefiting from Aman Center’s internal care services.He explained that the exhibition received positive feedback from educational staff, including social workers and teachers accompanying the students, particularly in how Aman’s awareness workshops were integrated with the exhibition tools. He affirmed that these tools help unleash children’s potential in discovering their identities and creative abilities.For her part, Head of the Communication and Information Office at Aman Center Hanan al-Ali stressed the centre’s commitment to activating community partnerships with various entities and sectors across the country, noting that child protection is a shared responsibility.She added that the collaboration with Dadu Museum marks the beginning of a series of awareness events aimed at children, highlighting the museum’s dedication to delivering information and education through play.

Katara Cultural Village has opened the “Progress and Procession Museum” exhibition to feature artworks and paintings and calligraphy.The exhibition by Qatari artist Khawla Mohamed Abdulaziz al-Mannai was opened by Katara general manager Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti in the presence of representatives of diplomatic missions, artists and art enthusiasts.To run until September 13 at Hall 2 of Building 18 at Katara, the exhibition features nearly 80 diverse artworks combining textiles, realistic, abstract and impressionistic painting along with Arabic calligraphy.It documents al-Mannai's career from her debut in 1990 to 2025 while reflecting the stages of artistic life she has gone through from study and learning to creativity and participation in local and international exhibitions.The exhibition highlights the richness of her artistic experience and the diversity of her styles and techniques.Through her paintings, she presents multiple artistic schools that reveal the interweaving of memories and personal experiences.It also addresses cultural themes with a local flavour such as horses, women, the lighthouse and the sewing machine, opening windows onto the past.The exhibition draws inspiration from other elements influenced by her exposure to diverse global cultures while highlighting the importance of art in building bridges of communication between civilisations.The works on display reflect al-Mannai’s precision and patience as well as the depth of her philosophy, which combines creativity and skill.Thus, the exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to gain a closer insight into the artist’s creative journey and discover her artistic vision.Al-Mannai studied art in Qatar, learning textile science at Helwan University in Egypt before developing her artistic style while studying abstract art at the University of the Arts in Britain.She believes that artistic style is born of the moment and the idea, and therefore expresses her art in a variety of ways.She has participated in numerous exhibitions both inside and outside Qatar representing the country at international art forums.Among her most notable works is the painting *A Woman from the Past, which was exhibited in Morocco, Britain and France in collaboration with the former ministry of information and the Amiri Diwan.Throughout her career, she received several painting awards from Qatar and the Gulf states and was honoured in Kuwait in 2019 for her research on *Sadu weaving.Al-Mannai was also honoured by the ruler of Sharjah in recognition of her efforts in collecting folk tales.A number of her works has been acquired by prestigious museums and institutions, while two of her textile paintings are on display in a Swiss museum.These works were created with love and dedication, especially those that depict the names of God and verses from the Holy Qur'an.