The museum is set on a 5,500 square meter area and houses a rare collection of modern and contemporary art. The exhibition centre was opened in 2010 and attracts a large number of art scholars and art lovers from around the world. If you are especially interested in viewing Arabian art, this would be the place to visit. A large collection of Arabic paintings was donated to the centre by Sheik Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Thani. It has around 6000 works of art and presents the trends and an overview of the artworks. The cultural landscape of the Gulf has been depicted by many artists most of which are displayed at the museum. The exhibitions focus on the perspective of the Middle East as viewed by locals and by international artists.

The exhibition opened with a collection of Arabic paintings which is over 100 years old. It was named Sajjil which means the act of recording and most of the exhibits are accompanied by a rich history of the artistic culture in ancient Arab and what they wanted to portray. The second exhibition that was hosted at the museum was called Saraab and it featured works of art that analysed the relationship between Asia and the Gulf region. Egyptian collections are also part of the museum. Renowned artist Cai Guo-Qiang showcased around fifty works that examined the relationship between the artist, the museum and the public through Egyptian art. The artwork investigated the convergence of ancient and modern artwork and how history influences an artist’s perception.

Since the museum was built in a location which was a former school and the education centre of Doha much of the key works are meant to educate the public. There is an exchange of knowledge between the artist and the beholder. Visitors will be amazed at what they could learn from art and how it influences the way we see the world today.

When visiting Doha the Mathaf Museum is definitely a must see. If you are looking for Doha serviced apartments to stay in there are several of them in the city. There are a number of serviced apartments Doha for you to choose from. One that you should book is Ascott Doha for it is convenient and comfortable.

 

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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