Art in Qatar: New museums and exhibitions celebrate the region’s rich and diverse history

The arrival of the FIFA World Cup has provided the impetus for Qatar to produce an entirely new art and cultural program, with brand-new museums and exhibitions springing up across the country.

It all comes under the banner 'Qatar Creates', which clearly sets out the country’s intention: to solidify its role as a cultural hub in the region.

While all eyes are on Qatar during the World Cup, the Gulf state is aiming to share that spotlight with neighbouring MENASA countries – comprised of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

One of the major, non-football related attractions in Qatar at the moment is a new exhibition at the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art. Just metres away from the Education City Stadium, Mathaf recently unveiled four contemporary exhibitions -- with the intention of showing that there is not one singular Arab voice or perspective.

Palestinian artist Taysir Batniji’s exhibition ‘No Condition is Permanent’ is dedicated to his 25-year career, and is heavily influenced by his own struggles and life experiences.

“When you look from far, you’ll see white paper. But when you get closer you can see forms, people and kind of drawings which [have] been done by hand, engravings”, he told Euronews. “In fact, they are photos of the wedding of my brother”.

The Palestinian artist says the death of his brother in 1987 -- at the start of the First Intifada protests in the West Bank and just two years after his wedding -- deeply affected him.

“This notion of disappearance has marked my work among other notions like displacement, identity, memory, etc. Because all of these notions are drawn from my experience as a Palestinian”, Batniji revealed.

Sophia Al-Maria had an interesting path to her debut showcase at Mathaf. The