In 2019 the third iteration of the project continues this route of inquiry while actively engaging with public and private spaces of collecting, to debate the responsibility of collections, their preservation and presentation. As an experimental research platform, the Doha Art Map invites the Museum’s diverse audience and creative community to collectively survey the contemporary art scene in Doha, asking questions around the places of art production, collecting and display, to identify where original ways of working are taking place, and addressing how various public and private practices contribute to the shaping of the art ecosystem in Doha today.
The Doha Art Map is housed at the Mathaf Project Space and disseminated beyond the physical boundaries of the museum through an active program of studio visits, discussions, and interventions in the city, to examine local trends in contemporary art, and better understand and debate the spaces that nurture creativity.
The space will include various iterations of the Doha Art Map and invites the public to mark the spaces of art on the map, participating in a collaborative practice of exploration, research, debate, and intervention. The project will expand offsite for artist led tours and studio visits, as well as an art performance at Katara Art Center. Documentation of the project’s activities including photographs and films, are shared on the walls in Project Space as part of the research materials, as printed and projected images. Books and reference materials on the local and regional art activities are made available, creating a public resource on art in Doha within the museum.
The project is led by Mathaf Curatorial team in collaboration with Art Programs and local artists, organizations, collectors and creative professionals, to explore the contemporary venues and spaces for art production, art discussions, and art display. As a project of civic engagement, the Doha Art Map recognizes the need to encourage open discussions among various entities that play fundamental roles in enriching the local creative synergy, stimulating the exchange of ideas, and assimilating diverse and interconnected perceptions of local art practices.