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Art Basel Qatar's inaugural edition reimagines art fair format with single-artist presentations across Doha

festival-fair · 2026-04-19

The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar is taking place until 7 February, featuring 87 galleries curated by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky. Each gallery presents a single artist in an open layout, reflecting Shawky's theme of Becoming. The event is located in the Doha Design District and M7, with ten unique projects extending to the Museum of Islamic Art. Highlights include Jenny Holzer's projection SONG (2026) and works by Souad Abdelrasoul, Huguette Caland, and Mustapha Azeroual. Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz stated that all artworks, including those by Etel Adnan and Jean-Michel Basquiat, are available for purchase. Many galleries showcase large installations, aiming for institutional acquisitions, as Shawky envisions the Gulf as a burgeoning hub for art, emphasizing its rich history.

Key facts

  • Art Basel Qatar's inaugural edition runs until 7 February
  • 87 galleries each present single artists in open-plan format
  • Artistic direction by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky with theme Becoming
  • Ten site-specific Special Projects extend to Museum of Islamic Art
  • Jenny Holzer's unannounced projection SONG (2026) features texts by Mahmoud Darwish and Nujoom Alghanem
  • Fair spans Doha Design District and M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha
  • Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz confirmed all works are for sale
  • Includes artists from Pablo Picasso to contemporary Middle Eastern figures

Entities

Artists

  • Wael Shawky
  • Jenny Holzer
  • Mahmoud Darwish
  • Nujoom Alghanem
  • Souad Abdelrasoul
  • Huguette Caland
  • Mustapha Azeroual
  • Hazem Harb
  • Nour Jaouda
  • Etel Adnan
  • Simone Fattal
  • Ali Cherri
  • Sophia Al-Maria
  • Manal AlDowayan
  • Ahmed Mater
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat
  • Aiza Ahmed
  • Bouthayna Al Muftah
  • Meriem Bennani
  • Lina Gazzaz
  • Sophie Kazan Makhlouf
  • Vincenzo de Bellis
  • Sanle Yan

Institutions

  • Art Basel Qatar
  • Canvas
  • Doha Design District
  • M7
  • Museum of Islamic Art
  • Gallery Misr
  • Loft Art Gallery
  • Tabari Artspace
  • Sargent's Daughters
  • al markhiya gallery
  • Lodovico Corsini
  • François Ghebaly
  • Hafez Gallery
  • Art Dubai
  • Frieze Abu Dhabi
  • The Fire Station
  • Art Basel
  • Venice Biennale
  • ArtAsiaPacific
  • Fire Station
  • Arts Intensive Study Program (AISP)
  • MCH Group
  • Qatar Sports Investments (QSI)
  • QC+

Locations

  • Doha
  • Qatar
  • Msheireb Downtown Doha
  • Egypt
  • Middle East
  • North Africa
  • South Asia
  • Msheireb
  • MENA region
  • Gulf region
  • Venice
  • Italy

Sources