Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar Exhibition

The Fire Station's artist in residence (AIR) program, which was first introduced in 2015, has assisted up-and-coming and mid-career artists from all across the region during the previous five years.

And this month, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art will present one of Qatar's largest contemporary exhibitions in honor of these artists.

From Friday, September 16 to Monday, February 25, 2023, Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar will display artwork created by approximately 40 former artists in residences.

What is Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar about?

Works at Majaz are divided into three categories: character, spaces & places, and narratives. With more than 80 works on show, contemporary art in Qatar features a variety of media, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, and new media.

Each piece will showcase a different aspect of storytelling, some of which were made especially for Majaz during a six-month AIR alumni program.

According to Saida Ali Al-Khulaifi, co-curator and interim head of residency programs, "The term Majaz (Metaphor) was chosen to symbolize the artists' experiences following their residencies as well as the fundamental focus of the exhibition, which is storytelling.

"The residency program at the Fire Station encourages the artistic growth of budding and established artists while fostering a community for contemporary art in the area. This exhibition invites local and international audiences to explore more than 80 works of art in one location as it celebrates this program and its alumni.

Abeer Alkuwari, May Al Mannai, and Hassan Manasrah are a few of the artists who are exhibiting.

Alkuwari participated in both the AIR alumni program and AIR 2 in 2016–17. The new commissions represent the people of Qatar in a way that raises concerns about beauty and identity in the face of modernity. The self-taught Qatari artist's work is centered around themes of identity, folklore, and tradition.

"The oral memory of communities has always attracted me," she remarked of her studies. A significant portion of human existence is devoted to the narrative, which encourages imagination, creativity, and mental awareness. My universe now includes these tales and anecdotes and everything they capture about both actual and imagined happenings. It is straightforward content that may be rearranged, drawn features, and utilized in new narratives. "

Manasrah, an AIR 4 participant in 2018–19 and an AIR alumnus in 2021, produced four works for Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar, all of which were produced during the pandemic's final stages.

What time does Majaz open and close?

The exhibition is accessible during Mathaf's regular business hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 until Feb. 25, 2023. Fri. 1.30pm–7pm; Sat. 9am–7pm. Al Rayyan, Education City, and mathaf.org.qa (4402 8855).