The Palaces of Memory
The article reports that Israeli and US airstrikes on Isfahan, Iran, damaged several centuries-old palaces and cultural buildings. It draws a parallel to the destruction of cultural heritage in Gaza, suggesting this may be a targeted strategy to erase cultural identity and history, which are seen as threats to occupying forces.
Galleries and museums in Gulf states like the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are reopening and projecting normalcy despite the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, which has entered its fourth week. Major events like Art Dubai have been postponed, and institutions like the Sharjah Art Foundation have delayed gatherings, but many cultural venues are operating with adjusted formats or by appointment.
Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija will headline the Qatar Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale with a collaborative project titled “Untitled (a gathering of remarkable people).” Curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, the exhibition will be housed in a temporary tent in the Giardini on the site of Qatar’s future permanent pavilion. The presentation features a multidisciplinary roster including filmmaker Sophia Al-Maria, sound artist Tarek Atoui, sculptor Alia Farid, and chef Fadi Kattan, blending live performance, cinema, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions.
Frieze has appointed Frank Lasry as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective this June. Lasry joins the organization with an extensive pedigree in the art market, having previously served as COO at Perrotin and managing director at Art Basel, where he was instrumental in launching Art Basel Paris. His career also includes senior leadership roles at major auction houses Christie’s and Phillips, positioning him as a veteran executive with deep operational expertise across multiple sectors of the industry.
The National Pavilion of Qatar has announced its presentation for the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people)." Commissioned by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and co-curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, the exhibition features a tent-like structure designed by Rirkrit Tiravanija. The space will host a collaborative program including a film by Sophia Al-Maria, performances by Tarek Atoui, a large-scale sculpture by Alia Farid, and a culinary program by chef Fadi Kattan.
The Qatar Pavilion has unveiled its artist lineup and conceptual framework for the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Titled "untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people)," the exhibition will feature a collaborative presentation centered around a tent-like structure designed by Rirkrit Tiravanija. The pavilion will include a film by Sophia Al-Maria, a large-scale sculpture by Alia Farid, sound performances by Tarek Atoui, and a culinary program curated by chef Fadi Kattan, all hosted within a temporary site in the Giardini designed by architect Lina Ghotmeh.
Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.
Escalating military conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has included strikes on Gulf states, is disrupting the region's burgeoning art market. Major events like Art Dubai have been postponed and scaled back significantly due to exhibitor withdrawals, and planned fairs like Frieze Abu Dhabi face uncertainty. The instability has also caused a sharp spike in shipping and insurance costs for artworks moving through the region.
The global art fair calendar for 2026 is taking shape with a mix of established blue-chip events and significant new international expansions. Key highlights include the debut of Pavilion in Taipei and Hong Kong, the expansion of Paris Internationale into Milan, and the highly anticipated return of the ADAA Fair to New York's Park Avenue Armory following a strategic hiatus.
Stephen Friedman Gallery, a fixture of London’s Mayfair district since 1995, has abruptly entered administration and closed its doors to the public. The gallery confirmed the insolvency process following its last-minute withdrawal from the inaugural Art Basel Qatar. Approximately 25 employees are expected to be laid off, and represented artists have been advised to retrieve their works immediately as the firm undergoes a financial review by FRP Advisory.
The Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tehran, has sustained damage following US-Israeli airstrikes targeting the Iranian capital. According to Iran’s cultural heritage minister, Reza Salehi-Amiri, the Qajar-era complex suffered damage to its historic windows, doors, and mirrors due to blast shockwaves and debris. The escalation of the regional conflict has further impacted cultural hubs across the Middle East, with debris falling near Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island and major institutions in Qatar and the UAE temporarily closing their doors.
Art Basel Qatar has launched its inaugural edition in Doha, marking a significant expansion of the Swiss fair brand into the Middle East. The event features 87 exhibitors in a unique, booth-less format spread across the M7 and Doha Design District, departing from traditional trade fair aesthetics in favor of a curated, biennial-style presentation. While the opening VIP day saw strong attendance from regional collectors and major international galleries like Hauser & Wirth, the atmosphere was tempered by light initial sales and significant regional geopolitical tensions.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has officially authenticated a previously dismissed painting, 'The Vision of Zacharias in the Temple' (1633), as a genuine work by Rembrandt van Rijn. Long considered a mere copy of a lost original, the piece has been upgraded following extensive research by the museum's scholarly team. Simultaneously, the 82nd Whitney Biennial has launched in New York, while the escalating conflict in the Middle East raises concerns regarding the stability of the burgeoning cultural tourism sector in the Persian Gulf.
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Escalating conflict in the Middle East has placed major cultural institutions under direct threat, with debris from Iranian bombings reportedly falling on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. While the Louvre Abu Dhabi features fire-protected galleries, the lack of underground armored shelters has raised alarms regarding the safety of its permanent collection and high-profile loans from France. Simultaneously, major museums in Qatar have shuttered indefinitely as a precautionary measure against the widening regional war.
Art galleries and museums across the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar have shuttered their physical spaces following a series of Iranian missile strikes targeting the Arabian Gulf. Major institutions including the Jameel Arts Centre and commercial galleries like Lawrie Shabibi and The Third Line have moved operations online or closed entirely as the UAE government advises residents to remain at home. The regional instability follows a cycle of retaliatory strikes between Iran and US-Israeli forces, resulting in casualties within the UAE.
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The art world is navigating a significant shift in regional power and aesthetic trends, highlighted by the inaugural Art Basel Qatar. This expansion into the Middle East signals a potential recalibration of global cultural influence, while simultaneously, the 'Ultra-Contemporary' market is pivoting toward 'Old Master' aesthetics and historical estates as a response to mounting economic pressures.
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.
The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar launched with a unique booth-less format, prioritizing single-artist presentations and regional connections over the typical high-speed frenzy of European fairs. While the pace of transactions was more measured, significant sales were reported, including a $250,000 video installation by Kutlug Ataman sold by Niru Ratnam to an institution and multiple works by regional stars like Ahmed Mater and Ali Cherri. High-value blue-chip items, including a $42 million Picasso, remained tucked away in private viewing rooms to accommodate the region's preference for discretionary collecting.
The Gulf region is rapidly transforming into a primary axis for the international art trade, marked by the upcoming debut of Art Basel Qatar and the rebranding of Abu Dhabi Art as a Frieze event. While state-led museum projects have long dominated headlines, a surge of commercial activity is now taking hold as blue-chip galleries like Pace and David Zwirner join local stalwarts. This expansion comes at a strategic time as traditional markets in the U.S., U.K., and China face contraction.
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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.
A flurry of art fair activity across Asia marked the early weeks of 2026. Art Basel's inaugural Qatar edition broke format with single-artist presentations, focusing on MENASA artists and discreet institutional buying. The India Art Fair in New Delhi saw strong sales for local galleries like Vadehra Art Gallery and DAG, while international fairs also took place in Indonesia and the Philippines. New events like Pavilion Hong Kong were announced, and Tokyo Gendai confirmed its return.
A flurry of art fair activity across Asia marked the early weeks of 2026. Art Basel's inaugural Qatar edition broke format with single-artist presentations, focusing on MENASA artists and discreet institutional buying. The India Art Fair in New Delhi reported strong sales for local and international galleries, while new fairs launched in Jakarta, Manila, and Hong Kong. Tokyo Gendai announced its return, and Art Basel's digital platform Zero 10 expanded to Hong Kong.
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.
Auction house Bonhams has opened a new 42,000-square-foot flagship headquarters in New York's Steinway Hall, launching a month of exhibitions and sales. The Philadelphia Museum of Art appointed Katherine Anne Paul as its new curator of Indian and Himalayan Art, while the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) awarded its Fund for Black Art Acquisition Prize to Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid, acquiring her painting "Horn Seller." Several galleries announced new artist representations, including Bortolami with Nathlie Provosty and Deborah Schamoni with Mariann Metsis, and auction house Freeman's appointed two senior executives.
Art Basel Qatar concluded its first edition with strong attendance and sales, signaling Doha's emergence as a significant art market hub. The fair attracted over 17,000 visitors, with nearly half of the private collectors coming from the MENASA region, and saw institutional placements and steady sales across various price points. Notable sales included works by Lucy Bull, Issy Wood, Nari Ward, and Ahmed Mater.
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.
The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar concluded in Doha, marking a significant new chapter for the Gulf art market. The fair adopted a smaller, curated format and was notably overseen by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, who served as its artistic director, bringing a curatorial perspective to the commercial event.
Qatar has announced details for its inaugural contemporary art quadrennial, Rubaiya Qatar, set to launch in November alongside Frieze Abu Dhabi. Organized by Qatar Museums, the event will feature over 50 artists and new commissions, with a major exhibition titled 'Unruly Waters' curated by Tom Eccles, Ruba Katrib, Mark Rappolt, and Shabbir Hussain Mustafa. Confirmed artists include Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Sophia Al Maria, Mohamed Bourouissa, and Lydia Ourahmane. Additionally, a previously unpublicized pavilion dedicated to Gerhard Richter will open within the quadrennial. Separately, revelations from the Epstein files show ties between Jeffrey Epstein and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, including a donated artwork and potential financial backing for a piece by Neri Oxman. A small Michelangelo drawing of a foot sold at Christie's for $27.2 million, setting a new auction record.
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.
Mexico City's Zona Maco fair is drawing upbeat crowds and eager buyers at the Centro Banamex convention centre, running until 8 February. Despite geopolitical tensions and the addition of Art Basel Qatar to the international calendar, collectors, curators, and museum groups from the Americas and Europe are attending in strong numbers. Galleries such as Sean Kelly Gallery, Proyectos Monclova, Kouri + Corrao, and Palo Gallery report robust sales and deep conversations with visitors, with a notable emphasis on ceramics and materiality in the works on view.