Under the visionary guidance of its Chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar Museums (QM) is taking part in the Doha International Book Fair. The 28th edition of the Book Fair will run from 29 November to 5 December at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).

This year, QM will offer visitors an interactive booth experience, which showcases some of its most important artworks and artistic catalogues in an interactive and engaging manner.

The list of new books that visitors can view and purchase at QM’s booth include:

  • German Encounters: Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection – This book features artistic masterpieces from the Deutsche Bank collection, which dates back from the 1960s to the present day. It highlights not only the history of German contemporary art, but also delves into the history of the Deutsche Bank Collection.
  • Wael Shawky: Crusades and Other Stories – This book explores Wael Shawky’s artistic technique and highlights artworks that were exhibited as part of his major solo exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in 2015. It also features an in-depth interview between Egyptian artist Wael Shawky and Dr. Abdellah Karroum, Director of Mathaf and curator of that exhibition.
  • Qajar Women: Images of Women in 19th-Century Iran – This book showcases a wide variety of artworks from the Qajar period, all of which feature Persian women as the main subject. It demonstrates the importance of women in the art of 19th-century Iran and the notions of beauty in modern Islamic art.
  • Imperial Threads: Motifs and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India – This book highlights the cultural exchange between three major dynasties, the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires, that marked the start of the early modern period in Islamic art, primarily from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The book illustrates the cultural and artistic background of this time by featuring artefacts including carpets, manuscripts, metalwork and ceramics.

Noof Ibrahim Al Abdulla, Director of Publications at Qatar Museums, said:

“The 28th edition of the Book Fair is not only a place to buy books, it’s a complete cultural experience. Through our participation, the Publications Department at Qatar Museums seeks to educate the community on everything we have achieved over the past several years. Our work focuses on making the content of our museums accessible to the community and helping deliver the cultural strands of the Qatar National Vision 2030. Through the work of Qatar Museums, we work to preserve our national identity, create a creative cultural sector and support Qatar in its mission to become a centre for cultural exchange by taking the lead on spreading art and culture within our community.”

She added: “The vision of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is to enrich the art and culture scene in Qatar by connecting the community with their past and present, which has also been supported by His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Culture and Sport for organising this creative cultural forum.”

Organised by Qatar’s Minister of Culture and Sports, over 30 countries will participate in the 28th Doha International Book Fair. Doors will be open for visitors from:

  • Saturday to Wednesday: 9am to 9pm
  • Thursday: 9am to 10pm
  • Friday: 4pm to 10pm

Following the book fair, all QM publications will be available at QM retail outlets, located at the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art at Qatar Foundation, Al Zubarah, QM galleries at Al Riwaq, and In-Q in Hamad International Airport.