Today, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art opened ‘Khalid Albaih: Shahid’ Exhibition, a new project space exhibition featuring Sudanese artist and political cartoonist Khalid Albaih (b. 1980, Bucharest). This exhibition, on view from 6 May 2024 to 10 August 2024, invites visitors to reflect on their role as witnesses to the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
‘Khalid Albaih: Shahid’ Exhibition, curated by Fatma Mostafawi and Hadeel Al-Kohaji, is an interactive audiovisual installation composed of four printed digital illustrations displayed on a mirror spanning the width of the wall. These drawings reference poignant moments that went viral across social media, resulting in an unprecedented number of witnesses to this live tragedy. Visitors' reflections in the mirror, among depictions of the victims, emphasise their role as witnesses. The experience is intensified by an image of Gaza’s destroyed cityscape reflected in the mirror and a recorded recitation by visitors of the names and ages of martyrs.
Zeina Arida, Director of Mathaf, said: ”It is with great pride that we unveil Khalid Albaih's exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, reflecting Mathaf’s role as a platform for regional artists to showcase their visions. Since its inception, Mathaf has always been committed to illuminating the diverse tapestry of Arab artistry, covering unique, important causes and shedding light on the way societies are structured as it interrogates the role art plays in our local and regional contexts.”
Through this installation, Albaih stresses the individual’s role as a witness by showing visitors they represent one more voice added to those speaking out for Palestine against biased mainstream media. This use of reflection – both literal and figurative – highlights the world’s complicity in this tragedy, which has exposed the prejudice and injustice of contemporary politics and international law.
Khalid Albaih, commented: “If the world can't see Gaza with all the evidence coming out of there, how can they see Sudan; which means if they can see Gaza, they can definitely see us and all of us.”
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art serves as the Arab world’s leading museum of modern and contemporary art. The museum offers a welcoming, vibrant environment that invites evolving discussions about modern art in the region and beyond. It also presents a world-class temporary exhibition programme each year, featuring internationally acclaimed modern and contemporary artists whose work plays an important role in opening conversations on the social and political shifts in the history and contemporary life of the Arab world.
For more information, please visit https://mathaf.org.qa/en/.
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ABOUT MATHAF: ARAB MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art serves as the Arab world's leading modern and contemporary art museum. The Museum offers a welcoming, vibrant environment that invites evolving discussions about modern art in the region and beyond. Home to a permanent collection that offers a distinctively unique comprehensive overview of modern and contemporary art from North Africa and the Middle East, Mathaf ("museum" in Arabic) also performs a vital role as a centre for dialogue and scholarship and a resource for fostering creativity. Mathaf was opened in 2010 by Qatar Museums in partnership with Qatar Foundation (QF) and is located in Education City. The Museum was founded by H.E. Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, who began collecting in the 1980s with the acquisition of works by Qatari artists. Sheikh Hassan later broadened his focus to include works by 20th-century artists throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab Diaspora and objects that inspired many Arab modern artists, such as pre-Islamic works from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. An initial group of works assembled by Sheikh Hassan was donated to the public institution. Over the past decade, Mathaf has hugely contributed to research and debate around modern art contemporary art, made available to scholars and audiences through the Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World. The Museum made itself a meeting point for scholars from across the region around education programmes, conferences, and publications. It has served as a dynamic platform for artists by facilitating the creation and exploration of contemporary works. Zeina Arida serves as director.
ABOUT QATAR MUSEUMS
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, and Design Doha. Future projects include Dadu: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and the Lusail Museum.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, M7, the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs —that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention. For more information visit https://qm.org.qa
PRESS CONTACTS
Lamis Nassar
lnasser@qm.org.qa
+974 4452 5418
Malak Latrous
mlaroussi@qm.org.qa
+974 3011 2559