get to spend time in museums. during my working life and i have witnessed something astonishing, how radically they have changed. the days of museums as grand, intimidating treasuries for dusty objects, they are long gone. they are becoming much more dynamic and inclusive, less solemn, less elitist, museums, i believe, are having a moment and that s what i want to explore. it is art of that s what i want to explore. it is part of the that s what i want to explore. it is part of the story. that s what i want to explore. it 3 part of the story, what is that s what i want to explore. it 1 part of the story, what is the museum about, what story do you want to tell? i museum about, what story do you want to tell? , ., ., , , ., to tell? i feel proud to be standing here looking to tell? i feel proud to be standing here looking at to tell? i feel proud to be standing here looking at these to tell? i feel proud to be standing here looking at these beautiful - here looking a
about in a boat on this exact spot in the arabian gulf half a century ago, what would you have seen? not the futuristic cityscape before me today, that s for sure because in recent decades, doha has witnessed unbelievably rapid change. i can t help thinking that the same is true of art history. this excitingly dynamic discipline that s always evolving. that s certainly the case with our ever expanding understanding of islamic art the speciality of an extraordinary and recently revamped museum that s filled with masterpieces fashioned everywhere from the mediterranean to southeast asia, all housed in a stunning limestone building which i ve travelled to qatar to explore. i m hoping here not only to experience for myself some horizon broadening work from the islamic world, but also to gain insight into what we mean by islamic art. so, this is quite exciting. i wasn t sure if it was going to happen, but it s now been confirmed that i m being whisked by golf buggy to meet the