A new kind of guidebook

We’ve all done it. Bought an entrance ticket for a gallery or a museum and politely declined when a well-meaning employee suggests that we purchase the glossy guidebook. But in the case of the Museum Of Islamic Art in Doha, I would definitely recommend that you take them up on their effort, Reflections On Islamic Art. Ok, so many of you are probably not going to be checking out the incredibly impressive building on the south end of Doha Bay any time soon. But Reflections On Islamic Art is so good, it can stand alone. Instead of simply explaining the art in the rooms, editor Ahdaf Soueif gathered together 27 novelists, poets, actors, filmmakers, artists and thinkers from across the world, brought them to Doha, and let them loose in the museum. They could write anything they wanted to, about anything they wanted to. The results are really thought-provoking – Tash Aw’s selection sets him off into childhood reminiscence, Riz MC writes a poem about his grandad’s attic. When I spoke to one of the contributors, Suad Amiry, she thought that one of  the great successes of the book is that even if you have no intention of visiting Doha,Reflections encourages its readers to look closer next time they go to any museum or gallery, to find personal connections with work rather than rush to see the famous stuff. Which, like ignoring the guide book, is also something we’ve all done…