DOHA: The Waqif Art Centre (WAC) at Souq Waqif, which includes the art school Dar-Al-Founoun, an arts and crafts shop, galleries, bookstores and designer shops, has recently been closed. The management is still looking for a new place to relocate, said an official at WAC.
The WAC, which is managed and owned by The House of Art, is one of the cultural destinations and a centre for art commerce in the country which featured exhibitions and displayed artworks of local artists and artists from the region.
The centre was opened nearly two years ago and was closed down last Thursday.
“We were not able to have the contract renewed… We are currently looking for a new place to relocate… all our things are currently in storage,” the official said.
The art school, which has around 60 students enrolled, has also been closed and classes were suspended for an indefinite period.
“If we cannot relocate in a week or two, we will have to reimburse our students.” Dar-Al-Founoun, which is overseen by Sabrina Puppin-Lerch, the school director, has offered art lovers and art enthusiasts unique opportunities to learn about art and design and take pleasure from it.
An art exhibit, which will be hosted at the WAC on January 20, has been postponed until further notice.
The WAC will also be hosting the exhibit My Father’s House, in collaboration with the British Council, in February.
“We may have to change the name of the center… if we will be relocating outside Souq Waqif, then it won’t be the Waqif Art Centre anymore,” the official said.
The WAC has hosted and organised more than 45 exhibitions and events since its
opening as well as publishing a series of books on Qatar, the third of which is about to be launched in the near future.
source gulf times

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