Is Qatar's ambition to be an international art hub good for the local art scene?

Qatar's royal family is making Doha into an international art hub, hitting the headlines with news of the world's biggest art buying spree that includes a world record $250m paid for Cezanne's The Card Players, and exhibitions by renowned artists like Louise Bourgeois, Takashi Murakami and Cai Guo Qiang. However, the New York Times reports critics of the royal family say it is behaving as a facilitator of the international art scene while at the same time using it for self-promotion, leaving the local art scene out in the cold. Read more...
Image: Head of the Qatar Museums Authority Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani at the opening of Takashi Murakami's exhibition at Versailles in 2010

Another Power 100 list

In its annual Power 100 issue, Art & Auction positions Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamid bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the daughter of the Emir of Qatar, as the most influential person in the art world. Shiekha Al-Mayassa is the chairwoman of the Qatar Museums Authority, an organisation overseeing the country's cultural initiatives including the world's biggest art buying spree.

You can see the Power 100 top ten here.

Image: Sheikha Al-Mayassa at the opening of Takashi Murakami's exhibition at Versailles in 2010