Museum of Islamic Art in Doha: 'It’s About Creating An Audience For Art'

THE TELEGRAPH
By Mark Hudson

When they decided to build the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the veteran Chinese-American architect IM Pei was summoned out of retirement to design it. The fact that the then 86-year-old Pei was best known for the landmark glass pyramid in the forecourt of the Louvre — still widely regarded as the world’s greatest museum — was by no means accidental. The Museum of Islamic Art was designed to make an impact: to put the Qatari capital on the map as a cultural centre and to broaden global perceptions of Islamic culture. Just five years after its opening, this groundbreaking institution is already acclaimed as one of the world’s great museums. [link]

“It’s about building an audience for art and developing the artists of the future,” says Mayssa Fattouh, artistic director of the Katara Arts Center, a pleasantly chic gallery and café. “We’re showing Qatari artists alongside international names. Visiting artists are doing workshops with local artists and schoolchildren, building on the traditional culture that’s already here. It’s an organic, ongoing process.”