Business & Finance Club - Manama: Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar, is holding a series of events ahead of its opening in December to announce its arrival on the world art scene. 

The first of these took place in Cairo last week and was hosted by Shaikh Hassan Bin Mohammad Bin Ali Al Thani, Mathaf's founder and Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) vice chairperson.

It drew a mixed crowd including artists, gallery owners, critics, writers and collectors from the Egyptian art scene.

The event, which attempted to explore the role that a public art institution plays in the modern life, drew a mixed crowd, including artists, gallery owners, critics, writers and collectors from the Egyptian art scene.

"This is an exciting time for modern art in the Arab world. We have only begun to explore this subject with the depth and rigour it deserves and Mathaf's main intention is to further this exploration," Shaikh Hassan said.

Mathaf, which was originally adopted by the Qatar Foundation, has since become a joint venture with QMA.

It is built around Shaikh Hassan's contemporary art collection, spanning three centuries and opens to the public in December.

A number of other Mathaf events are planned to take place in Beirut, Marrakech, London and Paris, with the concluding event to be held in Doha.

When it opens, Mathaf will present exhibitions featuring pieces from a collection of over 6,000 works. It also plans to host a series exploring modern Arab art from the 1840s to today.

"Arab artists are now receiving unprecedented visibility and support, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world," Shaikh Hassan said.

"By making public, a century's worth of distinctive artworks, Mathaf will get people talking about Arab art and help to advance the creativity of the Arab world," he added.