2 weeks Ago By Qatar Tribune
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Museums (QM) has unveiled three major exhibitions at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar’s leading institution for modern and contemporary art. These exhibitions present a unique opportunity to explore the diverse and dynamic landscape of contemporary art from Qatar and beyond. On view from April 19 to August 9, 2025, the lineup includes a major survey of Qatari art from the 1960s to the present, the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the late Qatari artist Wafa al-Hamad, and a groundbreaking international showcase of film and video art from the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
The exhibitions were inaugurated by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, in the presence of Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO of Qatar Museums; Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, president of Mathaf; and Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, chairman of Media City Qatar, among other dignitaries. Qatar: Close to My Soul – Art from the Collection of Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani showcases the evolution of Qatari art from the late 1960s to the present day. Inspired by the well-known poem and song by Abdullah Al-Hammadi, Allah ya ‘Omri Qatar, the exhibition is organised into 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 act as both personal expressions and cultural responses to Qatar’s rapidly changing environment, collectively forming a distinctive visual language that engages with the broader regional art discourse. Highlights include notable works such as Faraj Daham’s Sealine Landscape (1996) and Jameela Al-Shraim’s The Victory (1984), among many others. On view simultaneously, Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination marks the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to the late Qatari artist.
Renowned for her experimentation with abstraction, al-Hamad’s paintings of figures and landscapes blend vibrant colours with organic forms, while paying tribute to Qatari heritage and traditions. The exhibition traces the evolution of her artistic style over a forty-year career, highlighting her enduring legacy as both an artist and educator. In addition to her paintings, the exhibition explores al-Hamad’s connections with pioneering Arab women artists, including Madiha Omar, Nadira Mahmoud, Balqees Fakhro, Samia Halaby, and Naziha Salem.
Among the featured works are The Tower of Barzan and Optical Illusion (both 1985), presented alongside a wide selection of other significant pieces. The exhibitions are also accompanied by Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices, featuring the work of more than 40 filmmakers and video artists from the Arab world, Africa, and Southeast Asia. This compelling exhibition delves into themes such as exile, migration, and the complex dynamics of transnational movement.
Originally presented at the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2024, it unfolds across ten immersive sections housed in seven galleries. Each space is dedicated to evocative themes, including deserts (as cradles of civilisation and places of rebirth), ruins (relics of culture), borders (demarcations between the permitted and the forbidden), and exile. Among the standout works on display are Sophia Al Maria’s Black Friday (2016), Wael Shawky’s Al Araba Al Madfuna Part III (2016), and Hassan Khan’s Jewel (2010).
All three exhibitions offer a compelling reflection of the country’s artistic journey, providing the public with an exciting opportunity to explore the intersection of local traditions, personal expression and global artistic trends through a range of diverse creative visions and expressions. Copy 20/04/2025 10.
