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.
The event marks a significant expansion of Qatar's cultural infrastructure, positioning itself as a new transnational platform distinct from established regional events like the Sharjah Biennial. It aims to examine Qatar's geopolitical role through the lens of water and ecology, while also building momentum towards the future opening of the Art Mill museum around 2030. The quadrennial represents a major institutional investment in the Gulf's contemporary art scene.