A CHRONICLE OF COLLECTING The Qatar Museums Authority recently showcased Mal Lawal, an exhibition, H which displayed the varied collections of Qatari nationals. Myrna Ayad visits Doha and reports on the first in a series of such shows. oused in Doha’s Al-Riwaq For a start, the exhibition’s name is intrigu- The Need to Share exhibition space, adjacent to ing: Mal Lawal, which literally translates to ‘from The idea for Mal Lawal was conceived a little the formidable IM Pei-designed Museum of Is- the old days’ in the Qatari dialect. And true to its over a year ago by Sheikha Al-Mayassa herself. lamic Art, was an assemblage of relics displayed title, the show organised by the Qatar Museums After a series of shows by international artists in in the 5000 square-metre structure. A taster for Authority (QMA) featured an assortment of arte- Doha – Cai Guo Qiang, Takashi Murakami, Louise the Mal Lawal exhibition began in the foyer, with facts and antiques from 87 Qatari collectors. Mal Bourgeois and most recently Yan Pei-Ming (in objects placed in replicas of traditional baqqalas Lawal was not based around a curatorial theme, addition to numerous activities and exhibitions or dukkans (small grocer shops), which dot the but rather was about telling a story, and one in the Qatari capital and abroad) – “We wanted older parts of Qatar and the wider Middle East. which the Qatari public can continue narrating. to do something more home-grown,” explained Everready transistor batteries, Parker’s Quink pens, In many respects, Mal Lawal served as an exam- Al-Hitmy. A 15-member committee comprising Nido powdered milk cans, Pepsi glass bottles ple – by exposing historical objects amassed QMA staff was formed, and work on the show and tins of Mackintosh’s Quality Street choco- over the years by Qatari collectors, it sought to began officially last February. Its premise was lates were all placed on shelves covered in hes- inspire a future generation. “It’s not meant to simple: “The objective was to share stories,” said sian cloth; and within this setting, a traditional have one unified theme,” stressed Faisal Al-Hitmy Al-Hitmy. “It’s all about pride in collecting and Bedouin majlis was assembled. Much as this mini of the QMA. Indeed, it may be one thing for HE we’re trying to instil this in our society.” Adverts locale-type preview typified the Gulf nation’s cul- Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al-Thani to be dubbed ‘the announcing Mal Lawal and inviting nationals ture and tradition, it also transported viewers to art world’s most powerful woman’ by The Econo- and residents to become part of the show ran the not-so-distant past in Qatar’s 41 year-old his- mist – and through her leadership, to position in local media last February. The feedback was tory. And over this relatively short period of time, the Gulf nation as the world’s most important “overwhelming” says Al-Hitmy, so much so that Mal Lawal demonstrated that beyond the nation’s art buyer – but it is another thing altogether to the organising committee opted to exhibit the ruling family, who have made waves in the Con- show that collecting isn’t something new to Qa- collections of 87 participants and showcase the temporary art world, is a longstanding tradition of tar. Through Mal Lawal, we find that it has been remainder in the second edition of Mal Lawal, collecting among nationals. going on for decades. set to be staged in 2014. 110 REVIEW The exhibition began with a hall dedicated Next-door galleries featured cooking, hunting Facing page: An exhibition view of Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdllah Al- to Islamic and Arab artefacts belonging to HE and other utensils indigenous to the Bedouin, Thani’s hall in Mal Lawal at the Al-Riwaq Exhibition Space. Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani. Several followed by a room which showcased wall-to- versions of the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) by wall black-and-white images of Qatar and its rul- This page, above: A view of the hall showcasing ambergris, amber and famed Persian poet Ferdowsi were on display, ing family over the decades. Arabian oud. Below: Qatari collector Sabaan Mesmar Al-Jassim’s booth as were Islamic manuscripts and old maps hung featuring varied artefacts. alongside several Iranian coffee-house paintings. All images courtesy Qatar In the adjoining gallery, pearl necklaces from the Continuing the Narrative Museums Authority. Indian maharajas, lumps of ambergris and a large Visitors then made their way to Mal Lawal’s amount of differently sized amber prayer beads heart: the exhibition’s largest space lined with 87 sewing machines, rare stamps, kiswahs (cloak of in an assortment of lengths surrounded a large booths, each dedicated to a collector and filled the Holy Ka’aba) and circa 1950s cameras to Qa- Guinness-World-Record slab of Arabian oud. with an assortment of items – from old Singer jar paintings, ancient rugs, jade objets d’art and more, the room felt like a compilation of articles which covered the last 200 or so years. It was refreshing to see most patrons manning their booths, happy to explain their collections’ begin- nings and future aspirations. “Each collector has a story and that forms a narrative of our history,” added Al-Hitmy. The show ended with a return to the present through an exhibition of over 100 paintings by 65 Contemporary Qatari artists, including the reputed Yousef Ahmed and emerging names Amal Al- Rabban and Senan Al-Muslamani. Whilst Mal La- wal harked to a tradition of collecting in Qatar, and simultaneously sought to inspire future generations, the exhibition also looked to the present through a “The objective was to share stories. It’s all about pride in collecting and we’re trying to instil this in our society.” QMA representative, Faisal Al-Hitmy series of educational programmes for all age groups. In a room dedicated to children were Draw With Art- ists From Qatar, colouring books whose pages on the left featured artworks by renowned Qatari art- ists along with their image and a brief description of their oeuvre. The pages on the right illustrated an outline of the artwork for children to copy. As the exhibition proposes, learning about one’s heritage begins at a young age. “This show is all about Qatar and its rich traditions,” said Al-Hitmy. “And the next generation needs to, and will, carry that flag.” Mal Lawal ran from 12 September-11 October at Al-Riwaq, Doha. For more information visit www.qma.org.qa 111
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