Doha, December 17 (QNA) - Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art has announced a major campus expansion aimed at transforming the institution into a center for artistic production as well as exhibition.

The project is being led by the acclaimed Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh, founder of the Paris-based studio Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture, who is also designing Qatar's future pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Timed to coincide with Mathaf's 15th anniversary, the phased expansion was inaugurated on December 16 with the opening of a new Majlis-inspired library and conversation space. Designed as an open-plan hub, the space houses publications from the Arab world and features modular furniture that can be reconfigured for events, workshops and discussions.

In later phases, the museum's existing parking area and surrounding plaza will be redeveloped into specialised studio facilities for artists and designers working in ceramics, glass, sound and textiles. The expansion will ultimately unify the site into a single campus dedicated to research, learning and artistic production.

Mathaf's director, Zeina Arida, said the development marked "a new chapter" in the museum’s history.

"By expanding Mathaf's programs and spaces to include residency studios, makerspaces and workshops, we are transforming the museum into a place where artists can also create," she said, adding that the project would strengthen community engagement and support Qatar's growing creative economy.

Lina Ghotmeh described the commission as an opportunity to reimagine the museum as "an active space for making and learning, in addition to exhibiting and displaying".

"The Arab Museum of Modern Art is an unrivalled institution," she said. "This expansion will offer a remarkable platform for presenting art and ideas, particularly by artists from our part of the world."

The first phase of the project reconfigures the museum's ground floor into a public library and community hub, alongside an expanded bookshop and gift store operated by QC+, and a cafe. The redesigned atrium also features a newly commissioned portrait of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani by the Chinese artist Yan Pei-Ming, joining portraits of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser commissioned for the museum's opening.

Future phases will convert existing warehouses into purpose-built studios developed in collaboration with leading artists. These will include a ceramics studio designed with ceramicist Adrian Muller, a glass and materials makerspace developed with artist Matteo Gonet, and a sound studio created in partnership with sound artist Tarek Atoui. The facilities will form the core of a new residency program for international and regional artists.

The expanded campus will be unified by a new architectural skin and an earthen ground plane designed to respond to Qatar's climate.

The anniversary celebrations are accompanied by a series of exhibitions and public programs. They include Waters' Witness (Dec 17, 2025 – May 18, 2026), an evolving sound installation by Franco-Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui exploring the relationship between water, ports and coastal cities, including Doha.

The project will include performances, workshops and collaborations with schools and community groups.

Also opening is Autorretrato (December 17, 2025 - February 21, 2026), a large-scale sculptural self-portrait by Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile, presented as part of the Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture. The work offers an early glimpse of Mathaf's future focus on ceramic art.

Mathaf Encyclopedia Website - The introduction of the updated Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World website, which expanded its platform with: 70 Artist Biographies, 30 Author Biographies and five Scholarly Essays.

Further anniversary programming features the ongoing exhibition Resolutions: Celebrating 15 Years of Mathaf, a reinstallation of the Museum's unsurpassed permanent collection that is curated by Mathaf's research and curatorial team and is on view until Aug. 8, 2026. Also, on view until Feb. 9,2026,6 is we refused, a group exhibition that brings together fifteen artists whose practices examine resilience, action, and the ways individuals and communities respond to today's political and social realities. 

This year Qatar Museums celebrates Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar's cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar.

Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation's cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future (QNA)