Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

The Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, offers an Arab perspective on modern and contemporary art and supports creativity, promotes dialogue and inspires new ideas. Established in 2010, it is considered to be among the most important cultural attractions in the country. Mathaf providing a uniquely Arab perspective on contemporary art. The museum’s permanent collection features more than 9,000 works by notable artists from Arab world from the 1840s to the present day. Landmark artists from countries and regions connected to the Arab Peninsula are represented, encompassing Africa, Asia and Europe.

In the early 1990s, H.E. Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani  started building a collection of modern and contemporary art, mainly focusing on the region and its historical and cultural connection from North Africa to Asia and from Turkey and Iran. The first space of Mathaf, situated in two private villas in Madinat Khalifa in Doha, was conceived from the idea of what an Arab Museum of Modern Art might look like, a place for sharing the massive production of art in the region.

The development of the museum has continued as an inspiring space for dialogue and scholarship about modern and contemporary art with artists in residency in Doha, and also as a place for art production and display. Today Mathaf focuses on showing the permanent collection and producing major shows based on new commissions.