H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, QMA Chairperson, presenting an award to one of the participants.
Doha: Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) held yesterday the closing ceremony of the first edition of the Mal Lawal exhibition. H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, QMA Chairperson, attended the ceremony and gave away prizes to the winning artists and collectors. Also present were Mansoor Al Khater, QMA Chief Executive Officer, and Steve Kelly, President and General Manager of Occidental Petroleum of Qatar (Oxy Qatar), the principal sponsor of Mal Lawal, and representatives from Al Rayyan TV, the exhibition’s official media sponsor.
With the participation of 87 collectors and 68 artists, the exhibition opened to the public on September 12, 2012 and will continue till Thursday, in the ALRIWAQ DOHA exhibition space2, located next to the Museum of Islamic Art.
The organisers of the exhibition thanked all collectors and artists for making this show a success presenting them with certificates of appreciation for participating in Mal Lawal exhibition, saying that this exhibit was evidence that amazing collections and artworks exist within Qatar. They called as well on all community members to be part of the 2014 edition of Mal Lawal.
Mal Lawal, meaning “from the old days” in Qatari dialect, is a two part exhibition displaying visual treasures including artifacts, antiques and contemporary artworks.
The first part is dedicated to collectors and their objects that reflect Qatari heritage or represent other parts of the world. These objects tell a personal story about the collectors and highlight their passion for artistic creation, culture, and heritage. While the other part of the exhibition features artworks by three generations of cotemporary Qatari artists.
The original works of art in this exhibition trace the development of Qatar’s arts scene, and some of its most important leaders as well as emerging talents.
Through this exhibition, QMA aimed to emphasise its continuous role in supporting Qatari and foreign collectors, as well as Qatari artists.
Linked to its vision and mission and aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030, QMA is creating spaces that allow visitors to learn about the objects and pieces that exist within Qatar and are of historic and cultural value.
H E Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jasim Al Thani was the guest of honour at the exhibition. He participated with a collection of items ranging from old pictures, manuscripts and natural pearls, to large pieces of ambergris.
Other collectors showcased objects such as books, maps, coins, antiques, weaponry, and much more. In addition, a special part of this exhibition was dedicated to vintage photos of Qatar on display for the first time and collected by Naser Al Othman.
Mal Lawal exhibition also included a booth for “Wathiq”, an online forum allowing users to explore, learn, and share Qatar’s heritage and past. Visitors to Mal Lawal were able to preview Wathiq, a unique Qatar Museums Authority initiative, which is considered a repository of living history that transcends past, present and future, and is shared by generations of Qataris and residents of Qatar.
A full-color bilingual catalog profiling the private collections and Qatari artists participating in Mal Lawal will be available in December 2012. An extensive educational program complemented this exhibition including special workshops for children, as well as a series of lectures led by collectors, artists, and critics covering many topics related to the exhibition’s theme.
The Peninsula
