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- Art Basel Qatar returns to Msheireb Downtown Doha for its second edition, featuring 80 new single-artist presentations by 82 galleries spanning 37 countries and territories, all responding to the theme ‘between / بين’ — conceived under the artistic direction of Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi.
- Approximately 50 percent of the artists presented hail from the MENASA region, reinforcing Art Basel Qatar’s commitment to foregrounding regional and international artistic voices.
- More than a third of participating galleries operate spaces in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, reaffirming the fair’s ambition to support long-term market development in the region.
- Additionally, Art Basel launches a year-round market development program in Qatar designed to deepen collector engagement and strengthen conditions for galleries
- Presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+, Art Basel Qatar runs from January 28–30, 2027 (with Preview Days on January 26 and 27) across Msheireb Downtown Doha venues M7 and Doha Design District. Visit Qatar is the fair’s lead partner.
Art Basel Qatar today unveils the exhibitors participating in its second edition and announces details for a new year-round market development platform — reaffirming Art Basel Qatar’s role as the premiere art show for the MENASA region and demonstrating Art Basel’s commitment to further developing the regional arts ecosystem and growing the international art market.
The second edition of Art Basel Qatar, presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+ with Visit Qatar as the fair’s lead partner, marks a clear evolution in the fair’s long-term vision. Its year-round market development program will deepen collector relationships, support galleries, and sustain momentum between editions. Launching in October 2026, ahead of the 2027 fair, the ‘Collectors Majlis’ will offer masterclasses and workshops alongside invitation-led encounters, cultural experiences, collection visits, salons, and practical sessions. Bringing together local and international collectors, galleries, and institutions, the initiative extends Art Basel Qatar’s role beyond fair week and contributes to the region’s cultural and market development. More information is provided below.
The 2027 edition continues its solo presentation format following the success of the inaugural edition. Each solo presentation responds to the curatorial theme ‘between / بين’, conceived under the artistic direction of Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi in close collaboration with Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs at Art Basel, which enables galleries to present more ambitious and considered projects, while offering audiences a deeper encounter with each artist’s practice. The show will unfold across two key venues – M7 and Doha Design District – as well as selected public sites in Msheireb Downtown Doha, the city’s creative and cultural heart.
More than a third of participating galleries in the second edition operate spaces in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, and approximately 60 international galleries from Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia Pacific – including Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, South Africa, Netherlands, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, United Kingdom, and the United States – will take part in the 2027 edition. This creates a dialogue between regional artistic production and international market infrastructure, reinforcing Qatar’s role as a meeting point for global cultural exchange.
- A significant majority of artists presented in the show hail from the MENASA region, including Mohammad Alfaraj, Monira Al Qadiri, Dana Awartani, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Hassan Hajjaj, Yazan Khalili, Waqas Khan, Seher Shah, Shahzia Sikander, Vian Sora, and many others.
- Notable gallery participations from the region include Athr (Jeddah), Green Art Gallery (Dubai), Gypsum (Egypt), Lawrie Shabibi(Dubai), Tabari Art Space (Dubai), Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh), al markhiya gallery (Doha), Sfeir-Semler Gallery (Beirut, Hamburg), The Third Line (Dubai), Leila Heller (Dubai), Le Violon Bleu (Tunis), Marfa Projects (Beirut), Chemould Prescott Road(Mumbai).
- Homegrown galleries from the region that are participating in their first Art Basel fair include Efie Gallery (Dubai); Iyad Qanazea (Abu Dhabi); Le LAB Gallery (Giza); Alhosh Gallery (Doha); Contemporary Art Platform (Kuwait); and Dastan Gallery (Tehran, Toronto).
- International galleries from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia will participate, including Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna), Matthew Marks Gallery (New York), Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo), Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai), Sprüth Magers (Berlin), neugerriemschneider (Berlin), Lisson Gallery (London), White Cube (London), The Breeder (Athens), Lia Rumma (Milan), Silverlens (Manila), Acquavella Galleries (New York), David Zwirner (New York), Paula Cooper Gallery (New York), Gagosian(New York), and Sadie Coles HQ (London).
- Over 30 participating galleries will be taking part in Art Basel Qatar for the first time, underscoring the fair’s role as a catalyst for galleries seeking access to a broader international platform
Noah Horowitz, CEO of Art Basel, said: “Art Basel Qatar was conceived as an enduring platform for the region, and the 2027 edition marks an important next step in bringing our vision to life. Our ambition extends well beyond the fair week: through our new year-round program, we aim to deepen collector engagement between editions and contribute to the sustained growth of the regional art market. This is aligned with our global mission to nurture the next generation of collectors and create new pathways for discovery and exchange.”
Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs at Art Basel, said: “Our ambition for Art Basel Qatar is to build a fair that is rooted in its region and resonates around the world. Working with Artistic Director Wassan Al-Khudhairi, whose theme between / بين gives this edition its curatorial focus, we have grown participation from across MENASA and with our Qatari partners we launched ‘Collectors Majlis’, a year-round program of masterclasses and workshops to strengthen the regional market ahead of the show. We are shaping an edition designed to stimulate growth and open new paths for collectors, galleries, and institutions to connect. It’s a model that draws on the strength of Art Basel’s global network of fairs while staying distinctly of its place.”
Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Artistic Director of Art Basel Qatar 2027, said: “For me, the theme between / بين is a liminal space of possibility, where different perspectives, histories and ideas meet and new ways of seeing emerge. This thinking has shaped our approach to Art Basel Qatar 2027, from the selection of solo-artist presentations to the galleries participating in the show, bringing together artists across generations and at different stages of their careers.
The show explores the dynamic relationship between the MENASA region and the wider world: how global currents have shaped the region, and, equally, how the region’s artistic practices, ideas and cultural histories have shaped, and continue to shape, the world. Through these encounters, we hope to foreground the MENASA region not simply as a place in dialogue with the world, but as an active force in shaping global artistic discourse. between / بين becomes a space for exchange, influence, and new opportunities.”
Artist & Gallery Highlights
Approximately half of participating artists in the 2027 edition hail from MENASA, reinforcing Art Basel Qatar’s commitment to foregrounding artistic voices from the region and adjacent geographies. Participating in partnership with galleries both within the region and globally, presentations selected include Yazan Khalili with Lawrie Shabibi (Dubai), Vian Sora with The Third Line (Dubai), Seher Shah with Green Art Gallery (Dubai), Jumana Abboud with Iyad Qanazea Gallery (Dubai), Waqas Khan with Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna), Paulo Nazareth with Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, Brussels, Paris, New York), Huda Lutfi with Gypsum Gallery (Cairo), Salah Elmur withMariane Ibrahim (Paris, Chiago, Mexico City), Naiza H. Khan with Rossi & Rossi (Hong Kong), Dana Awartani with Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai), Ayesha Singh with Nature Morte (New Delhi), Kamruzzaman Shadhin with Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai), Sirak Melkonian with Dastan Gallery (Tehran), Aref El Rayess with Sfeir-Semler Gallery (Beirut, Hamburg), Stéphanie Saadé with Marfa’ Projects (Beirut), Youssef Ahmad with al markhiya gallery (Doha), Mohammad Alfaraj with Athr Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh, AlUla), Faisal Samra with Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh), Chaïbia Talal with Le Violon Bleu (Tunis), Pacita Abad with Silverlens (Manila, New York), Dalal Al-Obaidi with Taymour Grahne Projects (Dubai), and Ihsan Oturmak with Öktem Aykut (Istanbul).
The region’s gallery ecosystem will again be central to the edition. In addition to those listed above, galleries from the Gulf including Tabari Artspace (Dubai), showing Aya Haidar; Contemporary Art Platform (Kuwait City), showing Monira Al Qadiri; and Hafez Gallery (Jeddah, Riyadh), showing Faisal Samra, will be presented alongside participants from the wider Middle East and North Africa. These include Le LAB Gallery (Cairo), showing Moataz Nasr; Saleh Barakat (Beirut), showing Nabil Nahas; Leila Heller (Dubai) showing Marcos Grigorian; andSelma Feriani Gallery (Tunis, Sidi Bou Saïd), showing Nicene Kossentini. They will sit in dialogue with international galleries from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, including Acquavella Galleries (New York, Palm Beach), showing Andy Warhol; David Zwirner (New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Paris), showing Oscar Murillo; Gagosian (New York, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Le Bourget, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong) showing Maurizio Cattelan; Matthew Marks Gallery (New York, Los Angeles), showing Ken Price;Sprüth Magers (Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York), showing Rosemarie Trockel; neugerriemschneider (Berlin), showing Rirkrit Tiravanija; Lisson Gallery (London, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai), showing Anish Kapoor; White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Seoul), showing Park Seo-Bo; and Tornabuoni Art (Florence, Milan, Forte dei Marmi, Crans Montana, Paris, Rome), showing Lucio Fontana.
Further details on gallery presentations and Special Projects will be announced in the coming weeks.
Full exhibitor list: artbasel.com/qatar/galleries
Year-Round Market Development Programs
A key component of Art Basel’s new program is the ‘Collectors Majlis’, an invite-only pilot masterclass program designed for a cohort of approximately 30 to 40 new, emerging, and art-adjacent collectors. The program supports individuals who are interested in deepening their engagement with art and collecting, while building closer relationships with Art Basel Qatar and the wider art ecosystem. The program guides participants through a series of pre-fair masterclasses, on-site engagement during Art Basel Qatar, and a post-fair salon, offering practical insight into how the art market works, how art is bought and sold, how collections are built, and how to engage with galleries and artworks with greater confidence. Sessions are led by Art Basel leadership, collectors, galleries, institutions and key voices from Qatar and the wider regional arts ecosystem, including:
- Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson, Qatar Museums
- Abdulrahman Al Khulaifi, Founder/Director, ARAK
- Carly Murphy; Global Head of Collectors and Institutional Relations, Art Basel
- Mohammed Rashid Al-Thani, Founding Director, The Institute of Arab and Islamic Art
- Noah Horowitz, CEO, Art Basel
- Tariq Al Jaidah, Collector
- Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Art Basel Fairs
- Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Artistic Director, Art Basel Qatar
The initiative will also include a number of international encounters for collectors across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Greece, and other key locations, with the aim of cultivating a strong and informed collector base in the region and creating more meaningful opportunities for exchange between local, regional, and international art communities.
Cultural events across Qatar during fair week
Art Basel Qatar anchors a week of world-class exhibitions and cultural events across Doha, as Qatar Museums’ institutions and the city’s other museums present some of their most significant programming of the year.
Highlights announced to date include:
Design Doha 2026
When: 5 November 2026–31 January 2027 (opening days 5–7 November)
Where: Fereej Al Asmakh and Msheireb
The second edition of Design Doha, Qatar’s platform for contemporary design from the MENASA region and beyond, presents over 20 exhibitions. It is headlined by Arab Design Now 2026, curated by Noura Al Sayeh at Msheireb, which brings together 81 designers, 78 new commissions and 17 films, spanning architecture, furniture and product design, craft, urbanism, sound and social design. The biennial’s wider exhibition program is centered in Fereej Al Asmakh, one of Doha’s most significant heritage districts.
Design Doha 2026 also presents five new Public Design Commissions, selected through an open call to designers, architects and urban practitioners based in the MENASA region. The five new site-specific commissions activate public spaces in Fereej Al Asmakh and across Doha. Curated by Javier Peña Ibáñez, with Qatar Public Works Authority (Ashghal) as Visionary Partner, the projects explore sustainability, community engagement and local material traditions through contemporary design.
Doha Pavilion: Gerhard Richter
When: Opening on 20 November 2026
Where: MIA Park
Doha Pavilion: Gerhard Richter, a new permanent, site-specific structure conceived by the world-renowned artist, will open in MIA Park on 20 November 2026. Doha Pavilion has been designed as a free-standing work of art and architecture, housing a distinct body of Richter’s paintings and sculpture. Selldorf Architects worked with the artist to realize his vision for the project.
Rubaiya Qatar
When: 21 November 2026–30 April 2027
Where: Various venues
This fall marks the launch of Rubaiya Qatar, a new contemporary art quadrennial taking place across multiple venues. The inaugural edition is centered on themes of global ecology; water’s social, political, economic, and cultural importance; and the maritime heritage that forged connections between Qatar and the world. It brings together exhibitions and public art installations by more than 120 regional and international artists representing more than 30 countries, with particular attention to artists from the Global Majority.
Giuseppe Penone: The Inner Flow of Life
When: 26 October 2026–13 February 2027
Where: National Museum of Qatar
Giuseppe Penone: The Inner Flow of Life will present more than 50 works anchored across five custom-built pavilions and the rooms and courtyard of the Old Palace, each dedicated to materials, ideas, and techniques that has been at the centre of Penone’s practice.
What Lingers in the Artist Mind: Experiments and Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group
When: 25 October 2026–6 February 2027
Where: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
This major exhibition explores the history, legacy, and enduring relevance of the Baghdad Modern Art Group through 17 thematic sections, spanning the 1940s to the present day. Drawn extensively from Mathaf’s internationally renowned collections, it brings together paintings, sculptures, sketches, and photographs, as well as archival materials and original research. Founded in 1951 by artists Jewad Selim and Shakir Hassan Al Said, the Baghdad Modern Art Group sought to develop a distinctly Iraqi artistic language by combining Mesopotamian heritage, Islamic traditions, and international modernist ideas.
Beyti Beytak • بيتي بيتك • My Home is Your Home
When: 26 October 2026–29 May 2027
Where: Fahad bin Ali Palace
Presented by the future Art Mill Museum, this exhibition features works by more than 40 architects, designers, and practitioners from across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region (MENASA) and beyond, exploring architecture as a vital social and cultural practice grounded in ideas of home, hospitality, collective care, and shared responsibility. Beyti Beytak was originally presented at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2025.
Bu’ed Nadhar
When: 5 November 2026–31 January 2027
Where: Liwan Design Studios and Labs
Bu’ed Nadhar—meaning beyond immediate vision—brings together 32 works by 16 artists and designers, exploring craft, memory, and material knowledge through contemporary design practices. Presented as part of Design Doha 2026.
