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Mathaf: Museum of Modern Art photo By Steve Sabella

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar offers an Arab perspective on modern and contemporary art. The museum has a collection of over 9000 objects. The initial collection was gathered by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani, while QMA provided the conditions of conservation as a public institution chaired by Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al Thani.

Mathaf organizes several exhibitions such as Forever Now, Selections from the Collection, Manal AlDowayan: Crash, Etel Adnan In All Her Dimensions, Shirin Neshat: Afterwards, Khatt And After, Taysir Batniji: No Condition is Permanent, Sophia Al-Maria: Invisible Labors Daydream Therapy and M.F. Husain: Horses of the Sun among others.

The Mathaf is open all days of the week, from Sunday to Thursday is open from 9 am to 7 pm while on Friday is open from 1.30 to 7 pm.

1. Boasts a Collection of over 9,000 Objects

This artist’s modern art museum has a lot of collection which was initially gathered by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani.

 The 5,5500-square-meter museum in a former school building in Doha-s Education City is said to have a collection of over 9000 artworks, according to a 2014 report.

 The collections offer a rare comprehensive overview of modern Arab art, representing the major trends spanning from the year the 1840s to date.

2. It is one of the Most Important Cultural Attraction in Qatar

Mathaf: Museum of Modern Art photo By Steve Sabella

There are many tourist attraction sites in Qatar, and the Arab Museum of Modern Art is one of the important Cultural attractions in the country. It attracts many tourists hence the growth of the country economically wise due to foreign exchange.

Some other cultural attraction sites in Qatar include the National Museum of Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, The Pearl-Qatar, the Corniche, Al Khor Park, the Museum of Islamic Art and Souq Waqif among others.

3. The Entrance Fee is Affordable

This museum is one of a kind, its entrance fee is affordable to all social classes. The tickets are available online on a mobile app known as Cultural Pass.

The entrance fee is QAR 50 to all tourists at the time of review which is affordable, and an interesting part of it all is that free entrance for Nationals and Residents is offered.

4. The Aim of Building the Museum

Before the building of the collection started there was the main aim of building it. In the early 1990s, Sheikh Hassan started building a collection of art created by artists from the Arab World over the last 200 years.

The aim of building the collection was to create a museum that would capture and represent artists from this region and appreciate their work.

The collection was housed in two private villas, from the 1990s and early 2000s, in Madinat Khalifa in Doha.

5. Mathaf Collection is One of the Largest Collections

Mathaf: Museum of Modern Art photo By Steve Sabella

The Arab Museum of Modern Art collection was donated by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, a prominent member of the Qatari royal family and the grandson of the former King of Qatar artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from the Arab world, India, and Asia, to Qatar Foundation.

However, later on, it was acquired by Qatar Museums Authority, a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf, and MIA Park QM Gallery at Katara among others.

It is said to be one among the largest collections of Arab-produced paintings and sculptures in the world, this being one of the most interesting facts about the museum.

6. Mathaf has Organized Several Exhibitions

This Museum of Modern Art has organized many exhibitions since it was built. Cia Guo-Qiang: Saraab, was the first solo show to be organized by the museum, it ran from December 5, 2011, to May 26, 2012. This show showcased more than fifty works, seventeen newly commissioned artworks being one, by the renowned contemporary artist Cia Guo-Qiang.

Some of the other exhibitions organized by Mathaf include: Forever Now, Selections from the Collection, The Closest I’ve Ever Come to a Scientific Experiment, Wael Shawky: Crusades and Other Stories, Shirin Nestat, Manal AlDowayan: Crash, Raqs Media Collective: Still More World, M.F. Husain: Horses of the Sun, and El Anatsui: Triumphant Scale among others.

7. There are Wide Range of Programs to Undertake in the Museum

Mathaf: Museum of Modern Art photo By Steve Sabella

Since the museum was founded in the education and scholarship location, there are several numbers of programs to involve different audiences including universities, schools, families, artists, and scholars.

There is as well program Mathaf Voices, this program trains local university students to give exhibition tours from their perspectives, and Artist Encounters, which invites artists to discuss concepts and lead workshops based on their processes.

8. The Museum Has Published an Online Encyclopedia

One of the interesting facts about this museum of modern art is that it has accomplished some achievements which are useful.

Mathaf together with Qatar Foundation, (a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar which was founded in 1995) has published an online encyclopedia containing the biographies of Arab artists.

It is known as Encyclopaedia of Modernity and the Arab World and is published by Mathaf Curatorial and Research department linking the museum to the university.

9. Easily Accessible

When you want to get to Mathaf and you have no transport cash don’t worry since Mathaf got you, they have Mathaf bus services which are free and they take you to the museum premises. This is interesting and it saves cost to the tourist.

It is as well easy to access the museum via car. When you are at the Hamad International Airport it only takes you about 30 minutes to Mathaf via car.

Lastly, it can be accessed through Doha Metro, Educational City station is the closest metro station and the museum is located here. Due to several means of transport available to the museum, makes it easily accessible from all corners of Qatar.

10. Houses a Heritage Library

The museum houses a heritage library which is a unique contribution to Qatar’s cultural landscape. The library contains documents, books, and periodicals in various European languages and has a collection of 21,000 books.

A big number of items in the Heritage Library come from the collection of Sheikh Hasan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, the donor of the collection to the Qatar foundation.

The library is open to the public and researchers with an interest in a specific area or subject may apply to study relevant items under the supervision of staff.