Who would have imagined? Qatar pops out of the shadows from its infamous neighbor Dubai to pop into a field very little expected of the – art. Apparently, it has become the world’s biggest art buyer, according to some research by the Art Newspaper. Probably in a bid to stock up for the 2022 World Cup, the royal family has reportedly been purchasing a good number of contemporary and modern art. Some of the big names include Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon, and Damien Hirst, many bought by Sheikha al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, daughter of the emir and chairman of the Qatar museum authority. The country’s art prominence has become so topical that Christie’s chairman Edward Dolman resigned his post to take up the responsibility of the adviser to the museum authority. This isn’t the first big news, though. Two years ago, the county was named cultural destination by the New York Times, with reports saying almost $430 million has been spent on cultural imports from the US in six years. Another recognition is a member of the royal family, Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani, named by Artnews as one of 200 top art collectors in the world.
[Guardian]