Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art will present a survey of modern and contemporary art from Qatar from the Collection of Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani.
The exhibition presents works from the late 1960s onwards, providing a broad overview of Qatari art, artists, movements, and ideas that have shaped modern and contemporary art from the country. Featuring a significant number of artists and artworks, the display reveals the diverse artistic approaches that emerged and converged over different generations, coinciding with significant local transformations in the economic, cultural, and social landscape.
Inspired by a well-known poem and song by Abdullah Al-Hammadi, titled Allah ya ‘Omri Qatar, the narrative of the exhibition is organised around three sections that explore the beauty of the country’s natural landscape and architecture, portraits of society, and the art of abstraction. These visual interpretations serve as self-expression as well as a cultural response to the rapidly changing local environment, and collectively they form a distinctive visual language that engages with the broader regional art discourse. In addition to paintings, sculptures, and installations, the exhibition includes archival materials that document collective memories and important moments in the history of Qatari art. The exhibition is curated by Mathaf curator Fatma Mostafawi.
Press release from Qatar Museums
Image: Yousef Ahmad. Untitled. 2018. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist and Qatar Museums
