Qatar museum to become source for information on Arab art and artists

Manama: Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, plans to become the ultimate source of expertise on Arab art and artists.

The resource would be designed for scholars, artists and students seeking information on the subject.

Shaikh Hassan Bin Mohammad Al Thani, Vice Chairman of Qatar Museums Authority Board of Trustees and founder of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, said: "There is no comprehensive resource of information on Arab art, leaving scholars, students and artists alike in the dark about the origins, influences and conception of much of this work."

"It is Mathaf's intention to fill this gap and we look forward to providing a space, both physical and virtual, to discuss, question and research," he said in Paris in an address to the local arts community.

Under the plan, Mathaf will offer a comprehensive library, artist workshops and off-site visits for students and scholars to study the history, influences and production of modern and contemporary Arab art, he said.

The museum is scheduled to open in December.

Earlier, in London, Mathaf made its presence known to some of the leading names of the international arts scene at the city's Frieze Art Fair.

Guests at the announcement included some of London's most influential arts personalities, such as Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's  Europe and Middle East; Melanie Clore, Deputy Chairman, Europe Co-Chairman Sotheby's; Lord Jacob Rothschild, pioneering artist M.F. Hussain; and Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate.

Sir Nicholas said: "The emergence of a new generation of artists in the Arab world makes it all the more important that the history of art in the region is also more widely known. Mathaf will stimulate awareness and debate by showing the new alongside a collection that maps the recent past."

Mathaf’s pre-launch tour has made its way through major artistic hubs in both the Arab world and Europe, holding events in Cairo, Beirut, Marrakech, London and Paris.