Art Basel is coming to Qatar for the first time , and it’s a significant step. This is the fair’s debut in the MENASA region, showing how the global art world is increasingly focusing on this part of the world. The event takes place at M7 and the Doha Design District in Msheireb Downtown Doha, highlighting Doha’s strong cultural vision and its growing position in international contemporary art.
Running from February 5–7, the fair features 87 galleries and 84 artists. More than half of the artists come from the MENASA region. Unlike the usual booth-style layout, this edition follows an open format with solo presentations. This allows visitors to slow down and spend more time with each artist’s work.
The Theme: Becoming
The theme of the first edition is Becoming. It focuses on change, how people, societies, and systems are constantly evolving. In the Gulf region, this idea feels especially meaningful. The region blends tradition with rapid development. Oral histories exist alongside digital networks, and old trade routes have transformed into new cultural exchanges. Here, art does not just reflect change, it actively shapes identity and society.
Curatorial Direction
The fair is led by Artistic Director Wael Shawky, known for his work in film, performance, and storytelling. His regional background brings an important perspective to this first MENASA edition. He works alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs. Together, they have shaped a thoughtful program that connects local voices with Art Basel’s global network.
Artists to Watch
One of the most anticipated highlights is Jenny Holzer’s new project SONG, presented at the Museum of Islamic Art. The large-scale installation features text projections across the museum’s façade and courtyard, combined with a choreographed drone performance. The work includes poetry by Mahmoud Darwish and texts by Nujoom Alghanem. By presenting Arabic and English words through light and movement, the project creates a powerful dialogue between language and public space. From Cairo, artist Souad Abdelrasoul (Gallery Misr) explores bodies in transition. Her figures appear stretched and fragmented, reflecting ideas of transformation and instability, closely connected to the theme of Becoming.
Amir Nour (presented by Lawrie Shabibi) is featured with works such as Serpent (1970), made from curved steel pipes, along with bronze sculptures and early lithographs. The presentation highlights the development of his sculptural language. At ATHR Gallery, Ahmed Mater presents Temporal Migration, a photographic project about Makkah. Rather than showing the city as fixed, he portrays it as constantly changing due to expansion and construction. Pakistani artist Rashid Rana, presented by Chemould Prescott Road, shows Fractured Moment. The work uses CCTV footage of Gaza’s night sky and references Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square. What seems like a dark, still image slowly reveals flashes of airstrikes, creating tension between stillness and violence.
Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani presents Windy, a large kinetic sculpture shaped like a cartoon tornado. The playful yet critical work explores digital culture, movement, and identity. Gallery Isabelle showcases works by the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif, whose practice focused on repetition, simple materials, and commentary on consumerism and social change. His work remains deeply relevant to the region.
Pakistani artist Aiza Ahmed presents Footnotes, developed during her residency in Doha. Inspired by the Wagah–Attari border ceremony, the installation uses painted fabric panels and cut-out figures to explore borders as performances shaped by movement and repetition.
A Fair Built for Discovery
This is only a glimpse of what Art Basel Qatar offers. With its slower format and strong regional focus, the fair encourages deeper engagement. It reflects not only the growth of Doha’s cultural landscape but also the evolving role of the MENASA region in the global art conversation.