qatar launches quadriennial 2026

Qatar has announced the launch of a new quadrennial art event called Rubaiya Qatar, set to debut in November 2026. The inaugural edition will feature a curated exhibition titled “Unruly Waters,” organized by Tom Eccles, Ruba Katrib, Mark Rappolt, and Shabbir Husain Mustafa. The event will take place across Qatar, centered at the Al Riwaq pavilion near the Museum of Islamic Art. A preview performance by artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, titled "untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes)," was unveiled in Doha, involving communal bread baking with diverse bakers. The quadrennial aims to reflect Qatar's cultural diversity and its historical connections to maritime trade routes.

art basel qatar fair report doha

The first-ever Art Basel Qatar opened in Doha with 84 single-artist presentations from 87 galleries, spread across two venues: the Doha Design District and M7. The fair, a partnership between Art Basel, Qatar Sports Investments, and QC+, features a tightly curated schedule of events, including a drone installation by Jenny Holzer at the Museum of Islamic Art and a floating dinner by artist Laila Gohar. Despite the usual fair rhythms, sales have been slow, and the event emphasizes engagement over transaction, as articulated by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

m f husain museum qatar opening november 2025

A new museum dedicated to M. F. Husain, one of India's most important modernist artists, will open in Doha, Qatar, on November 28, 2025. Officially named Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum, it is operated under the Qatar Foundation and will be the first museum devoted solely to Husain. The 32,300-square-foot institution, designed based on a 2008 sketch by the artist, will house a newly formed permanent collection spanning paintings, tapestries, photographs, films, installations, and poetry. Highlights include a series of paintings on Arab civilization commissioned by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Husain's final work, *Seeroo fi al ardh* (2009), which will have its own gallery. The museum is located in Doha's Education City, home to several US university outposts.

art basel qatar first fair sales

Art Basel has launched its inaugural edition in Doha, Qatar, debuting a specialized format that emphasizes solo artist presentations and a slower, more meditative pace compared to its flagship fairs. The event features a curated selection of international galleries including Pace, Lisson, and Almine Rech, with a layout designed to foster deeper engagement and introduce regional collectors to the fair circuit.

Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum Doha Review

lawh wa qalam mf husain museum doha review

The Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum has opened in Doha, Qatar, dedicated to the prolific career of the late Indian modernist Maqbool Fida Husain. Commissioned by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and designed by architect Martand Khosla based on a sketch by the artist himself, the 32,300-square-foot blue-mosaiced structure houses 150 works including paintings, films, and sculptures. The museum traces Husain’s journey from the 1950s through his final years in Qatar, highlighting his cross-cultural explorations of faith, science, and history.

art basel qatar arts and culture in doha

Art Basel has launched a new fair in Doha, Qatar, opening across the Msheireb district's M7 building, Design District, and other venues. The event coincides with significant cultural milestones for Qatar, including the 50th anniversary of the National Museum and the 15th anniversary of the Museum of Islamic Art, and represents a long-term commitment with plans to expand to Al Maha Island by 2029.

doha museum shows art basel qatar

Art Basel's inaugural edition in Doha has arrived, bringing with it new collectors and galleries seeking institutional interest. The event has prompted Doha's museums to stage significant exhibitions that emphasize historical depth and architectural legacy, rather than catering to fleeting market trends.

diriyah contemporary art biennale 2026 artist list

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the artist list for the third edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, opening January 30 in the JAX District of Diriyah, near Riyadh. Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” the biennale is curated by Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed and features over 65 artists, including more than 20 new commissions. Participants range from historic figures like Pacita Abad and Etel Adnan to emerging voices such as Raven Chacon and Dineo Seshee Bopape, working across painting, installation, film, sound, architecture, and publishing.

mathaf museum campus expansion architect lina ghothem

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha has appointed Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh to lead a major campus expansion, announced as the institution celebrates its 15th anniversary. The project will redesign the ground floor lobby and library as an open majlis-inspired space, expand the cafe and shop, add a monumental portrait by Yan Pei-Ming, and later transform the plaza and parking area into artist studios, ceramics facilities, glass and material labs, and a sound studio in collaboration with Tarek Atoui. Mathaf director Zeina Arida called the plan 'a new chapter' for the museum.

m f husain museum qatar

Qatar has unveiled a new museum dedicated entirely to the late Indian Modernist artist M.F. Husain, titled Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum. Located in Doha's Education City, the museum houses over 150 artworks spanning from the 1950s to his death in 2011, including paintings, poetry, photography, tapestries, sculptures, and installations. The museum, opened on November 28 by the Qatar Foundation chaired by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, fulfills a long-held dream of the artist, who was granted Qatari citizenship in 2010 after self-imposed exile from India. The building was designed by architect Martand Khosla based on a sketch Husain himself created for his envisioned museum.

canceled samia halaby exhibition recreated qatar

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar has mounted a presentation of seven works by Palestinian artist Samia Halaby that were originally slated for a canceled survey at Indiana University’s Eskenazi Museum of Art in December 2023. The university cited “safety reasons” for the cancellation, which Halaby criticized as occurring amid the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. The works are displayed in the first gallery of the exhibition “we refuse_d,” curated by Vasif Kortun, which also includes pieces by other artists whose shows were canceled, such as Jumana Manna. Halaby’s paintings span 1980 to 2024 and include the previously unseen “Worldwide Intifadah” (1989) and “Massacre of the Innocents in Gaza” (2024).

wafa al hamad overlooked artist

The Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha has opened "Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination," the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to the late Qatari artist Wafa Al-Hamad (1964–2012). Curated by Lina Ramadan, the show runs through August 9 and features over 40 years of Al-Hamad's work across mediums including ink, watercolor, pastel, collage, and digital art. Al-Hamad was one of the first female students at the Qatari Free Atelier in 1981 and later became a professor at Qatar University, exhibiting in group shows across the Gulf such as the Sharjah Biennale 4 (1999) and "6 Gulf Women Artists" in Sharjah (1994).

Art Basel Qatar unveils new fair format and appoints Artistic Director

Art Basel has announced details for its inaugural edition in Qatar, set to take place from February 5 to 7, 2026, at the M7 creative hub in Doha's Design District. Departing from the traditional booth model, the fair will introduce an open-format exhibition centered on the theme 'Becoming,' with solo presentations by galleries responding to a central curatorial framework. Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky has been appointed Artistic Director for the first edition, working alongside Art Basel's Chief Artistic Officer Vincenzo de Bellis to shape the curatorial vision and guide gallery selection. The fair will span two key venues—M7 and the Doha Design District—as well as public sites in Msheireb, and plans include transforming Qatar Museum's Fire Station into a platform for educational programs.

8 art shows that should be on your radar for April and May

Architectural Digest India has published a guide to eight art shows opening in Delhi and Mumbai during April and May 2026. The article highlights exhibitions such as "He Who Permeates" at Tao Art Gallery, featuring NFN Kalyan and Jayesh Sachdev; "The Last Rust" at Chemould, showcasing Archana Hande's sculptural works; and "Tracing Tradition, Shaping Modernity" at Akara Modern, which draws from The Lechner Collection to pair Jamini Roy and Meera Mukherjee. The shows are curated to place different artists side by side, exploring shared themes through contrasting visual styles.

‘We craved external validation, but what's important has shifted’: Dubai gallery The Third Line celebrates 20 years

Dubai gallery The Third Line celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades since its founding in 2005 by Sunny Rahbar, Lisa Farjam, and Claudia Cellini. Born from the anti-Arab sentiment after 9/11, the gallery began as an independent art space with a framing and novelty trading license, operating between a commercial gallery and an artists' space. It launched with a show of five Iranian photographers, later opened a short-lived Doha branch in 2008, and moved to Alserkal Avenue in 2016. To mark the anniversary, the gallery stages an exhibition organized by writer and curator Shumon Basar.

Art Basel Qatar Announces Artistic Director and Theme for 2027 Edition

Art Basel Qatar has appointed Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director for its second edition, scheduled for January 28–30, 2027, in Doha. The fair will be themed “between / بين,” exploring states of betweenness and fluid cultural encounters, and will feature a scaled-up Special Projects sector with large-scale, site-specific works, alongside solo gallery presentations. Al-Khudhairi, a specialist in modern and contemporary Arab art, previously served as founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha and held curatorial roles at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

‘We refuse_d’: rehearsing refusal as method, memory, and possibility.

Marking the fifteenth anniversary of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the traveling exhibition ‘we refuse_d’ has opened at M HKA in Antwerp. Curated by Nadia Radwan and Vasif Kortun, the project draws on the intellectual lineage of Hannah Arendt’s reflections on displacement and the historical precedent of the Salon des Refusés. The exhibition features a constellation of works by artists including Khalil Rabah, Barış Doğrusöz, and Nour Shantout, exploring refusal not as a simple negation, but as a complex strategy for survival, dignity, and the preservation of memory.

Harn Museum to present ‘Florida in the Frame’ exhibition starting on Friday

The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida is launching a major exhibition titled "Florida in the Frame: A Century of Artists’ Reflections on the Sunshine State." Drawing from the extensive Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers Collection, the show features over 65 artists including American masters like Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Thomas Moran alongside Florida Highwaymen painters. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections that explore the state's natural landscapes, the development of its urban centers, and its evolution into a global tourism destination between 1850 and 1950.

Art Basel Qatar, Dürer portrait debate, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch—podcast

The Art Newspaper's podcast covers the inaugural Art Basel Qatar art fair in Doha, discussing its impact on Qatar and the Middle East art scene. It also examines a debate over a Dürer portrait in London's National Gallery, long considered a copy but now argued to be an autograph work by a new catalogue raisonné author. The episode features a double-header exhibition at the Albertinum in Dresden pairing Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch, with co-curator Andreas Dehmer discussing key works.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Lydia Ourahmane among artists confirmed for new Qatar quadrennial

Qatar has announced details for its inaugural Rubaiya Qatar quadrennial, set to open in November across Doha and the wider state. The headline exhibition, 'Unruly Waters,' will feature over 50 artists, including Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Lydia Ourahmane, and more than 20 new commissions. It will be curated by a team led by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, and will incorporate historic objects from Qatar Museums.

M.F. Husain in Qatar: bridging Asia and the Arab world

The article examines the life and legacy of Indian modernist painter M.F. Husain, focusing on his final years as a citizen of Qatar. It details his rise as a leading figure of the Progressive Artists' Group, his embodiment of a secular, post-independence Indian identity through his art, and the controversy that forced him into exile after 1996 due to accusations of blasphemy for depicting Hindu deities. He ultimately accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010 and died in London in 2011.

From a bakery pop-up to an I.M. Pei survey: the exhibitions to see in Doha during Art Basel Qatar

A series of major exhibitions are on view in Doha, coinciding with the Art Basel Qatar event. These include Rirkrit Tiravanija's interactive bakery installation at MIA Park, two major surveys of architect I.M. Pei's work at AlRiwaq Gallery and the Museum of Islamic Art, and a group show titled "we refuse_d" at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

The Year Ahead 2026: the big exhibitions and the key museum openings—podcast

In the first episode of 2026, Ben Luke, Jane Morris, and Gareth Harris preview the year's major art events, including museum openings, biennials, and exhibitions. Highlights include the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, V&A East, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, along with the Venice Biennale, Whitney Biennial, and shows dedicated to artists like Gainsborough, Raphael, Zurbarán, and Matisse.

Venice, Sydney, Gwangju: the most interesting biennials to visit in 2026

The article previews several major biennials scheduled for 2026, including the 61st Venice Biennale, the 25th Sydney Biennale, and the 16th Gwangju Biennale. The Venice Biennale will proceed posthumously under the vision of curator Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2025; she was the first African woman appointed to curate the event. The Sydney Biennale, themed "Rememory" and inspired by Toni Morrison, will be directed by Hoor Al Qasimi, while the Gwangju Biennale will be led by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen, focusing on collective artistic responses to global crises.

Aiza Ahmed: ‘I’m finding ways to explore humanity’

Interdisciplinary artist Aiza Ahmed is presenting a solo exhibition of new paintings and woodcut sculptures with New York gallery Sargent's Daughters at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar. The 28-year-old, who splits her time between residencies in Doha and New York, uses the theatrical Wagah-Attari border ceremony between India and Pakistan as a central subject to explore identity, nationalism, and power dynamics.

Hong Kong’s first major Islamic art exhibition set to open at Palace Museum

Hong Kong’s Palace Museum will open its first major Islamic art exhibition on Wednesday, featuring 90 works from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, including carpets, ceramics, and manuscripts dating from the 10th to the 19th centuries. The show, titled “Wonders of Imperial Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha,” marks the Qatari institution’s debut in the city and includes treasures such as the 17th-century “Kevorkian Hyderabad carpet.”

Afghanistan’s heritage comes to the fore in acclaimed Doha show

A new exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, titled *Empire of Light: Visions and Voices from Afghanistan*, highlights Afghanistan’s art and history from pre-Islamic times to the present day. Running until 30 May and timed to Art Basel Qatar week, the show draws primarily from MIA’s collection, with loans from Qatari institutions and international lenders such as the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian. It includes historical objects like a 13th-century ewer and a 9th-century Qur’an folio, as well as contemporary works such as Khadim Ali’s *Un-Safe Heaven* (2025), a textile piece embroidered by Afghan men and women. No objects come from Afghan museums, but large-scale wooden models and glass vessels were produced in Afghanistan with help from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Six key works by M.F. Husain to see at Lawh Wa Qalam

Amita Shenoy, former curator of the M.F. Husain Museum in Bangalore, has selected six key works by the renowned Indian artist M.F. Husain that are now part of the collection at Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha. The selection includes pieces like 'The Raman Effect series' (1987), 'Arab Astronomy' (2008), and 'Quit India Movement' (1985), which illustrate major themes in Husain's life and artistic practice.

The City is Our Studio: Urban Sketchers Doha bring the outdoors in

The inaugural exhibition "The City is Our Studio" by the Urban Sketchers Doha community opened at Lusail's Art Factory in Qatar. The show features works created en plein air by the group's members, who practice on-location drawing and painting to capture the essence of Doha's landscapes and everyday life.

Katara Opens Contemporary Graphic Art Exhibition

Katara Cultural Village Foundation in Doha has opened a Contemporary Graphic Art Exhibition featuring 29 artists from Qatar and abroad, displaying over 170 works that explore modern printmaking techniques. The exhibition runs until May 18 at Hall 18 in Katara Cultural Village, bringing together artists from different generations to showcase diverse styles and schools within printmaking. Exhibition coordinator Abdulrahman Al Muttawa, along with artists Haifa Al Khuzai and Lina Al Ali, highlighted the exhibition's role in strengthening printmaking's presence in the art scene and celebrating Qatari cultural heritage.