DOHA: Around 4,000 pieces from the treasure troves of 152 private collectors in Qatar and other GCC countries will be on display for Mal Lawal Biennale which opens to the public tomorrow at Doha Exhibition Centre.
Spread over 5,000sqm space, the expo is divided into 11 categories and offers a feast to the eyes and intellect of visitors with a diverse array of objects.
There has been a rise in the number of participants from 90 in the first edition to 152 this year, 110 of whom are from Qatar and 42 from other GCC countries, Exhibition Chairman and Curator, Nasser Al Hammadi, told a press preview yesterday.
From the world’s smallest camera to 120-year-old bisht to centuries-old weapons to ancient carpets from Iran and rare banknotes from around Mena, the expo proves the culture of art collection is alive in the country.
Hani Al Asousi, a Kuwaiti collector who has a private museum mainly on Kuwaiti heritage, is showcasing over a dozen cameras, one of which he claims to be the smallest in the world.
Al Asousi, who also has a collection of watches, says he is happy to participate for the first time in an exhibition organised by Qatar Museums (QM).
A sneak peak into collectors in Qatar who have made mini-museums in their homes with objects they have gathered from around the world is a new feature at the expo. “There are eight screens which shows films of the collections which could not be brought here,” Al Hammadi said, adding other activities will be held on the sidelines of the expo such as those for schools. He said this edition has seen a huge improvement from the first in 2012.
“We try to improve every edition. Last time, we gave participants a space to set up their collections, but this year we have helped them with everything from installation to signage. This year we have also employed new technologies and utilised new and creative ways to display,” he added.
The exhibition space has been increased from 2,500sqm to 5,000sqm and the duration of the event from one month to two and a half. The expo is open to the public from December 16 to February 28 and 50,000 visitors are expected. Mal Lawal meaning ‘from the old days’ in Qatari dialect was conceived by QM to encourage and support art collection in Qatar and the rest of the GCC. The Peninsula
