Mathaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar

Before we get straight to the point, let us talk a bit about art. What is art? Everyone has their own definition of art, but we all connect to art from one form to another. So, there are so many definitions of art, and there are more definitions to come. Right now, as you are reading this article, you can create one in a matter of seconds. Here is ours.

For years, people who love art go to various art exhibitions, the street, museums, and other places to witness artistic pieces around the world. This journey is what brings us to the Arab Museum of Modern Art.

What is the Arab Museum of Modern Art?

The Arab Museum of Modern Art, located in Qatar (Art capital of the Gulf), was opened on the 30th of December, 2010. The museum, formerly a school building, is currently present in Doha’s Education City. Jean-François Bodin is the French architect who redesigned the museum.

The museum began as a private collection assembled by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani. He is a member of Qatar’s ruling family, an artist, and an art collector. Though the collection contains a lot of paintings and sculptures, it also features photos and various multimedia creations. Mathaf is the first of its kind in the region.

Although it is the first of its kind, the Arab Museum of Modern Art is the second art museum to appear in Doha, Qatar, in 3 years. The first was the Museum of Islamic Art, which contains a collection of Islamic artifacts and art in a large museum designed by architect I.M. Pei.

The Mathaf museum has more than six thousand pieces in its permanent collection. As you walk through the twelve galleries of the exhibition, the beauty you experience is that you can trace some events and movements like the art school revolution in Casablanca and the paintings and sculptures by Mahmoud Mokhtar, Jawad Selim, and Hafidh Droubi.

How and when to get to Mathaf from Doha

If you want to visit Mathaf, we at Viavii are glad to book a lovely experience for you, so consider letting us help you with your booking. Next, there are many ways to get to the Arab Museum of Modern Art from Doha. Some of the travel mediums include the tram, cars, and buses. Many people ask which of the transports is the cheapest. Compared to the rest, you pay the least for a taxi from Doha to Mathaf. It takes approximately 12 minutes to get there by taxi.

If you arrive at the museum by car, you must enter Gate 14, close to the Qatar Academy Sidra Primary School. Mathaf bus offers a free shuttle service from Mathaf to the Museum of Islamic Art, the Fire Station, and the Qatar National Library.

Before you get there, you should purchase a ticket online in advance. Security check for the EHTERAZ app on visitors' phones upon entry. Open days and their time are Saturdays through to Thursdays from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Fridays from 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm.

What should you expect?

So many activities take place at the museum. One of them is the Kader Attia: On Silence. It is a solo exhibition in honor of the artist's works over 2 decades ago. The artist Kader Attia dedicated his work to shedding light on imperialism, capitalism, and multiculturalism. Abdellah Karroum and Assistant Curator Lina Ramadan are the curators of the exhibition. The exhibition features works from all media that include collages, drawings, photography, videos, and sculptures.

There is also the Artists Gathering Group. Every Monday, during the opening hours, people go to join the Artist Gathering at the Mathaf entrance to meet artists. What they do is simple. They meet on Mondays at the front yard of the museum to meet artists. It is a collaborative workshop that features the Doha art hub artists and friends, family, and students who come for the program. The Doha art hub is a hub for artists that hosts artist gatherings every week and many other activities. The artist gathering is a great opportunity for friends, family, and students close by to get to know some artists to share artistic ideas and information to educate people. If you intend to join, hurry because it is going to end on the 27th of December 2021.

Conclusion:

Modern-day Qatar holds so many beautiful places with a variety of things to see and experience. It presents a blend of culture, color, and history to suit the taste of tourists and travelers. Though there are so many places to see in Qatar, today's article sheds light on one of Qatar's best museums, the Arab Museum of Modern Art. It is the first of its kind in the region and presents to you lots of things and not just images, paintings, and sculptures. It features educational art programs, a variety of historic events presented in multimedia format, and many others.

The best way to experience this splendid adventure is if you book an experience with Viavii to go and explore the museum.  For any inquiry or if you need answers to your travel questions, link up with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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