110 H oused in Doha’s Al-Riwaq exhibition space, adjacent to the formidable IM Pei-designed Museum of Is- lamic Art, was an assemblage of relics displayed in the 5000 square-metre structure. A taster for the Mal Lawal exhibition began in the foyer, with objects placed in replicas of traditional baqqalas or dukkans (small grocer shops), which dot the older parts of Qatar and the wider Middle East. Everready transistor batteries, Parker’s Quink pens, Nido powdered milk cans, Pepsi glass bottles and tins of Mackintosh’s Quality Street choco- lates were all placed on shelves covered in hes- sian cloth; and within this setting, a traditional Bedouin majlis was assembled. Much as this mini locale-type preview typified the Gulf nation’s cul- ture and tradition, it also transported viewers to the not-so-distant past in Qatar’s 41 year-old his- tory. And over this relatively short period of time, Mal Lawal demonstrated that beyond the nation’s ruling family, who have made waves in the Con- temporary art world, is a longstanding tradition of collecting among nationals. ThE NEED To ShARE The idea for Mal Lawal was conceived a little over a year ago by Sheikha Al-Mayassa herself. After a series of shows by international artists in Doha – Cai Guo Qiang, Takashi Murakami, Louise Bourgeois and most recently Yan Pei-Ming (in addition to numerous activities and exhibitions in the Qatari capital and abroad) – “We wanted to do something more home-grown,” explained Al-hitmy. A 15-member committee comprising QMA staff was formed, and work on the show began officially last February. Its premise was simple: “The objective was to share stories,” said Al-hitmy. “It’s all about pride in collecting and we’re trying to instil this in our society.” Adverts announcing Mal Lawal and inviting nationals and residents to become part of the show ran in local media last February. The feedback was “overwhelming” says Al-hitmy, so much so that the organising committee opted to exhibit the collections of 87 participants and showcase the remainder in the second edition of Mal Lawal , set to be staged in 2014. For a start, the exhibition’s name is intrigu- ing: Mal Lawal , which literally translates to ‘from the old days’ in the Qatari dialect. And true to its title, the show organised by the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) featured an assortment of arte- facts and antiques from 87 Qatari collectors. Mal Lawal was not based around a curatorial theme, but rather was about telling a story, and one which the Qatari public can continue narrating. In many respects, Mal Lawal served as an exam- ple – by exposing historical objects amassed over the years by Qatari collectors, it sought to inspire a future generation. “It’s not meant to have one unified theme,” stressed Faisal Al-hitmy of the QMA. Indeed, it may be one thing for hE Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al-Thani to be dubbed ‘the art world’s most powerful woman’ by The Econo- mist – and through her leadership, to position the Gulf nation as the world’s most important art buyer – but it is another thing altogether to show that collecting isn’t something new to Qa- tar. Through Mal Lawal , we find that it has been going on for decades. A CHRONICLE OF COLLECTING The Qatar Museums Authority recently showcased Mal Lawal , an exhibition, which displayed the varied collections of Qatari nationals. Myrna Ayad visits Doha and reports on the first in a series of such shows. 111 The exhibition began with a hall dedicated to Islamic and Arab artefacts belonging to hE Sheikh hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani. Several versions of the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) by famed Persian poet Ferdowsi were on display, as were Islamic manuscripts and old maps hung alongside several Iranian coffee-house paintings. In the adjoining gallery, pearl necklaces from the Indian maharajas, lumps of ambergris and a large amount of differently sized amber prayer beads in an assortment of lengths surrounded a large Guinness-World-Record slab of Arabian oud sewing machines, rare stamps, kiswahs (cloak of the holy Ka’aba) and circa 1950s cameras to Qa- 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 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 Next-door galleries featured cooking, hunting and other utensils indigenous to the Bedouin, followed by a room which showcased wall-to- wall black-and-white images of Qatar and its rul- ing family over the decades. CoNTINuING ThE NARRATIvE visitors then made their way to Mal Lawal ’s heart: the exhibition’s largest space lined with 87 booths, each dedicated to a collector and filled with an assortment of items – from old Singer REvIEW “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 Facing page: An exhibition view of Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdllah Al- Thani’s hall in Mal Lawal at the Al-Riwaq Exhibition Space. This page, above: A view of the hall showcasing ambergris, amber and Arabian oud. Below: Qatari collector Sabaan Mesmar Al-Jassim’s booth featuring varied artefacts. All images courtesy Qatar Museums Authority.