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The ruling family of Qatar, the House of Thani, is deeply involved in the field of art. For more than two decades, its members have been accumulating numerous pieces of artwork.
The project Qatar National Vision 2030 promotes the creation of new schools, new universities, and new museums. [1] The cultural development, characterized by new museums and exhibitions, is therefore closely linked to the socio-economic motive of building a "knowledge-based economy" in Qatar by 2030. [2]
The journalist Barbara Pollack underlines the central role of the Al-Thani family while comparing Qatar's and Abu Dhabi's cultural policies: "While Abu Dhabi is making a name for itself by building dramatic local satellites of the Louvres, the Guggenheim and the British Museum, Qatar's scheme of cultural nation building is much more homegrown, establishing its museums with the collections from its own royal family." [3]
Several members of the Al-Thani family initially led Qatar's interest and involvement into the field of arts and continue to embody and shape the cultural policy of the country. [4] For William Lawrie, previously Head of International Modern Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art at Christie's, "Qatar's royal family are very much like modern-day equivalents of the Medicis in 16th-century Florence". [5]
Qatar is depicted as a new "market maker" on the art market. [12] In 2011, The Art Newspaper revealed Qatar is the world's biggest art buyer. [13]
Many commentators report a faultless strategy: [14] Qatar bid systematically for famous pieces of art. It is a pragmatic, but visionary approach that led the country to establish itself as a main player of the world art market. Qatar is advised by high-skilled international experts. [8] Thierry Ehrmann, president and founder of Artprice ("the world leader in art market information" [15] ) asserts that Qatar has implemented an "outstanding war machine" in order to make Doha a "world capital of art". [16] According to him: "Qatar does not take any risk, takes the best, and is willing to pay whatever it takes." [8]
One of the most striking facts about Qatar's presence on the art market is the massive financial resources involved. The royal family and Qatar's cultural institution are upscale subscribers to the databank on art prices and indices Artprice Group. A study conducted by Artprice and Organ Museum Research over the period 2000-2012 revealed that Qatar bid for art works with a margin of 40 to 45% above "market prices". [14] Hence Forbes estimates that the annual budget for the sole Qatar Museum Authority is about $250 million. [9]
The chief executive of the Fine Art Fund Group, an art investment management and consulting firm based in London, estimates that Qatari buyers make up 25 percent of the Middle East's $11 billion art market. [5]
For more than twenty years, the Al-Thani family had been buying a large collection of art works, from traditional Islamic artifacts to famous pieces of modern and contemporary art
Partly as a consequence of Sheikh Saud's significant interest into traditional art, the Al-Thani family possesses a wide collection of Islamic, Roman and Egyptian art and antiques, alongside a wide range of artifacts from all over the world. [17] The collection includes: [18]
Estimates show that the Al-Thani has spent at least $1 billion on Western painting and sculpture over the last twenty years. [1] Sheikha Al-Mayassa is known for being particularly interested in the work of Western contemporary art's big names, such as Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois and Mark Rothko . [12]
The royal family of Qatar currently owns one painting of the series The Card Players by the French artist Paul Cézanne.
As a prominent buyer on the art market, the Al-Thani family has significantly expanded its modern art collection. The family owns notably:
In addition to building collections of world art, the Al-Thani family is committed to developing Arab contemporary art and supporting regional artists. Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani began buying Arab art in the mid-1980s and started collaborating with artist and art educator Yousef Ahmad in 1986.
Hassan Al-Thani supported Iraqi artists after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the first Gulf War and owns an extensive collection of art pieces by well-known Iraqi artists Ismail Fatah Al Turk and Shakir Hassan Al Said. His collection of Iraqi art is known as the biggest in the world. [20] [5] The exhibition for the opening of Mathaf in December 2010 featured art pieces by several Arab artists, [21] including French artists of Algerian origin Kader Attia and Zineb Sedira, Iraqi Adel Abidin, Palestinian Khalil Rabah, Moroccans Farid Belkahia and Mounir Fatmi, Egyptians Ahmed Nouar and Ghada Amer, and Lebanese Walid Raad.
Saud Al-Thani bought quite important photographs collections, notably 136 vintage photographs including pieces by Alfred Stieglitz and Man Ray in 2000 and a black and white photograph by Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey in 2003 for £565,250, which settled a new world record [17]
With such wide art collections, Qatar proceeds for several years to build museums and to sponsor exhibition to host them. It makes part of Qatar's strategy to be acknowledged as a main worldwide actor.
One significant innovation has been the establishment of the Qatar Museums Authority in 2005, a government body that cooperates with the Culture Ministry but which is, according to The Economist, "above all a family affair". [1] Interviewed by the English newspaper, Sheikha Al-Mayassa asserts, "The QMA is very much my father's baby. He wanted to create something to connect with the community, to create a cultural dialogue within society (...) we want the QMA to be a 'cultural instigator', a catalyst of arts projects worldwide." [1]
The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha opened in 2008. [18] It was designed by I.M. Pei, the Chinese-American architect that notably built the glass pyramid for the Louvre in Paris. It is considered to be one of the world's great museums. [22]
The inauguration of the new public space was a key event of the year 2011. Developed by QMA and located on the grounds of the MIA, the park notably includes Richard Serra '7'. The 80-foot-high sculpture is the American artist's first public work in the Middle East. The Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was present during the inaugural ceremony, along with 700 guests. During her speech, Sheikha Al Mayassa asserted that the new park will invite the citizens of Doha to interact with contemporary and other creative arts. At the same time, the new park will complement and enhance the Museum of Islamic Art designed by my father." [23]
The growing interest for Arab Modern art is symbolized by the opening of Mathaf in December 2010 (Mathaf is the Arabic word for museum). Based on a collection of paintings and other art pieces from the 1840s, this embryo project aims to give modern art a wider audience in the Arab world. "We are making Qatar the place to see, explore and discuss the creations of Arab artists of the modern era and of our own time" says Sheikha al-Mayassa al-Thani [18]
Its originator and most fervent defender, Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani explains how the museum was aimed at filling a void in modern Arab art in Qatar: "Since the collection had increased its representation of periods and styles, I began planning to make it part of a specific project. At the time, I did not know of any museum of Arab art from the 19th century to today. As a painter and photographer — simply put, as an artist — I was passionate about modern and contemporary art and artistic movements in the Arab world. But only in Egypt could you find quality museums devoted to the history of Arab art and its different forms of expression. Otherwise there was almost nothing anywhere. So instead of continuing in the darkness, I decided to light a light". [24]
One of the biggest projects of Qatar is the opening of the National Museum that was opened in 2019. As for the MIA, Qatar succeeded in involving the well-known French architect Jean Nouvel on the project.
The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum was opened in 1998 and currently showcases over 15,000 artifacts that were collected by Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani over a span of several years. [25]
Besides largely contributing to the construction of new museums, Al-Thani Family is involved in a wide range of art events.
In 2010, Qatar funded the exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, known as Murakami-Ego and shown at the Palace of Versailles in 2010. [26] The exhibition was later shown in Doha in 2012. [13] The Museum of Islamic Art was initially proposed, yet the Japanese artist found the space not large enough. A temporary hall was built instead, known as the Al Riwaq exhibition space, located near the MIA. [27] It is the first exhibition displayed by Murakami in the Middle East. Murakami-Ego was the launching event of Qatar-Japan 2012, an initiative aimed at reinforcing the diplomatic relations between the two countries through a series of cultural and sporting activities. [28]
From January to June 2012, Qatar Museums Authority organized the exhibition "Conscious and Unconscious", gathering about 30 works of art created by Louise Bourgeois between 1947 and 2009. [29] The centrepiece of the exhibition is the famous 9-meter-high bronze spider sculpture Maman . QMA's chairperson, Sheikha Al-Mayassa, commented on the importance of the sculpture to Qatar: "Louise Bourgeois' Maman is a true icon of 20th Century art, an artwork that has captured the attention of millions around the world. We are proud to present this magnificent sculpture at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Through displaying various forms of art in public spaces we aim to inspire local talent and to establish an organic connection between art and the local community.". [30] The sculpture will stay permanently in Doha.
The Photography Competition, created in 2001, is amply sponsored by Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani. It has greatly expanded over the last 12 years, opened to the Gulf Region in 2003, to the Arab World in 2005. It became an international competition in 2006. [31]
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani is a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013 when he abdicated the throne, handing power to his fourth son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who was born to his second spouse, Moza bint Nassir. The Qatari government refers to him as the Father Emir.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was the Emir of Qatar from 27 February 1972 until he was deposed by his son Hamad bin Khalifa in a coup on 27 June 1995.
The House of Thani is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Adnanite Banu Tamim tribe. Today Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his mother Moza bint Nassir lead the house.
Saud bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani was a Qatari prince who served as minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
The Al Khater family is a prestigious family in the Arabian Peninsula. They belong to Al Buainain of Banu Tamim. The family expands in several Arabian Peninsula countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The Al Khater are the ones who built two major cities in the Arabian Peninsula which are Jubail in Saudi Arabia and the former capital of Qatar, Al Wakrah.
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the sister of Qatar's ruling Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and daughter of the country's former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. Al-Mayassa was declared the most influential person in art on Art+Auction's top-10 list and ArtReview's Power 100, and prominently appears on the Time 100, and Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. She was listed in the 'Top 100 most powerful Arabs' from 2014 to 2017 and 2021 by Gulf Business. Al-Mayassa serves as Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and it was reported by Bloomberg that her annual acquisition budget on behalf of the organization is estimated at $1 billion.
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is a museum in Doha, Qatar with over 9,000 objects. Established in 2010, it is considered a major cultural attraction in the country.
Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the former heir apparent of Qatar. He is the third son of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the first child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. He abdicated his position as Crown Prince in 2003, in favour of his younger brother Tamim, citing being uninterested in becoming Emir.
Qatar Museums was founded in 2005 and is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at the Katara Cultural Village, ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space, the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, and archaeological projects throughout Qatar, as well as the development of future projects and museums that will highlight its collections across multiple areas of activity including Orientalist art, photography, sports, children's education, and wildlife conservation.
7 is an 80-foot (24-metre) high sculpture built by American sculptor Richard Serra and located in the Museum of Islamic Art Park, in Doha, Qatar. Unveiled in December 2011, it is the tallest public art piece in Qatar and the tallest Serra has ever conceived. It is also his first sculpture to be showcased in the Middle East. Constructed from seven steel plates arranged in a heptagonal shape, the work celebrates the scientific and spiritual significance of the number seven in Islamic culture. It rests on a man-made plaza extending 250 feet into Doha harbour.
Murakami-Ego is the name of an exhibition by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami that took place in ALRIWAQ Doha exhibition space, Qatar, between 9 February and 24 June 2012. It is the first solo exhibition for the artist in both Qatar and the Middle East, as well as his biggest exhibition ever, showcasing over 60 works created since 1997, alongside new ones designed especially for the exhibition.
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 is a Qatari artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from the Arab world, India, and Asia. His multi-billion dollar art collection is one of the most valuable and extensive in the Middle East. He is Vice Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority, Advisor for Cultural Affairs at Qatar Foundation and founder of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
Yousef Ahmad is a Qatari artist, art adviser, collector, writer and educator in the field of art. He is a leading figure of Qatar's cultural development and regularly represent his country at international biennials and events. His art work has been displayed internationally.
The National Museum of Qatar is a national museum in Doha, Qatar. The current building opened to the public on 28 March 2019, replacing the previous building which opened in 1975. The building was designed by architect Jean Nouvel who was inspired by the desert rose crystal, which can be found in Qatar. The museum site includes Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's Palace, which is the heart of the Qatari national identity. From 2013 to 2023, the director of the museum was Sheikha Amna. In February 2024, Sheikh Abdulaziz H. Al Thani became director of the Museum.
The modern Qatari art movement emerged in the mid-20th century, as a result of the new-found wealth acquired from oil exports and the subsequent modernization of Qatari society. Because of Islam's non-inclusive stance of depictions of sentient beings in visual arts, traditional figurative art historically played an insignificant role in the country's culture. Other visual art forms such as calligraphy, architecture, and textiles were more highly regarded in Qatari tradition.
Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is a privately owned museum located in the municipality of Al-Shahaniya in Qatar. Encompassing an area of 530,000 m2, the three-building museum was opened in 1998 by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani.
Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the brother of the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and son of the country's Father Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Al Thani sits on the board of directors of the Doha Film Institute and International Bank of Qatar.
Bouthayna Al-Muftah is a Qatari artist, best known for her work in printmaking and drawing. Her works are characterized by the frequent use of black ink, which she integrates into nearly all of her creations.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani is a Qatari royal and the first wife and consort of Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar. A member of the Qatari royal family by birth, she is the daughter of former government minister Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani and a grandniece of Emir Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. She is a second cousin of her husband. As the first wife of the Emir, she accompanied him on an official state visit to Spain in 2022, where she was presented with the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic by King Felipe, and to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in 2023.