Since days of yonder, from Bedouin nomads to powerful Sheiks, Arabians have celebrated and exulted in art by adorning their mosques and palaces in beautiful intricate designs. It still remains the same in this age where modern art tries to break away from the traditional boundaries of realism and conservative standards. At the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art you will be able to witness the amalgamation of exquisite traditional Arabian art and the fresh, bold flow of modern art.
The museum is located in a former school building in Doha’s Education City, situated just approximately 35 minutes away from the prestigious Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, a premier among the 5 Star Hotels in Doha. Declared open in 2010, the museum aims to be a space for dialogue and scholarship about international modern and contemporary art, as well as serve as a platform for artists in Arab diaspora and beyond.
The 5,500-square-meter museum is a work of modern art in itself. Designed in the concept of function over form, the exterior of the building is approached in a minimalistic Spartan form that’s enclosed in scaffolding. A magnificent pair of austere-looking sculptures welcomes you to the museum that other than the gallery, also houses areas such as the Manara – Education Space, Maktaba – Library, Mahal – Gift Shop and the Maqha – Café.
Inside, a visual spectacle of modern art awaits you…From bizarre installations such as “The Pyramid”, and the critically acclaimed Al-Safina or “The Ship”-a massive sculpture made out of 64 blocks of black and pink granites; to magnificent paintings like the highly contemporary “Red Sky with Birds”- that is a burst of color and compact forms; and the stunning “Festival Scene”, which is created in a traditional form with a touch of modernism.
The Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, the venue of exceptional artistic exhibitions, programs and events, is the podium that gives the opportunity to see and explore modern and contemporary art from an Arabian form of perspective.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.