Art Basel Qatar announces new fair format for its inaugural edition and appoints Wael Shawky as Artistic Director

Art Basel has unveiled initial details of its new fair in Qatar, set to take place at the M7 creative hub in the heart of Doha’s Design District from February 5 to 7, 2026, with Preview Days scheduled for February 3 and 4. For its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will depart from the traditional booth model, introducing a new fair format grounded in artistic vision and conceptual rigor.

Designed as a platform to foster deeper engagement with leading galleries and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond, the fair will prioritize an immersive experience while maintaining strong market relevance.

Art Basel Qatar has also announced the appointment of internationally acclaimed Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky as Artistic Director of the fair’s first edition. Working alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs, Shawky will lead the curatorial vision for the 2026 edition and guide the gallery selection process in consultation with the fair’s dedicated Selection Committee. He brings deep regional insight and a multidisciplinary approach that aligns with the fair’s ambitions, including plans to transform Qatar Museums’ Fire Station into a platform for educational programs.

The fair will adopt an open-format exhibition model, with solo presentations by galleries responding to a central thematic framework developed by Art Basel’s artistic leadership, serving as both anchor and catalyst for the show. The exhibition will span two main venues — M7 and the Doha Design District — as well as selected public sites in Msheireb, Doha’s creative and cultural center.

According to Vincenzo de Bellis: “With Art Basel Qatar, we are pushing the boundaries of the art fair model – placing artistic intention at its core while responding to today’s market. This format allows us to support galleries in presenting artists’ work with greater depth and resonance. Doha is an ideal context for this evolution: It is a place where cultural ambition meets a rich and layered history, and where experimentation is both welcomed and supported. For our inaugural edition, we are thrilled to work with Wael Shawky, who brings a rare combination of intellectual precision, visual imagination, and regional knowledge.”

The 2026 edition of Art Basel Qatar will explore the theme “Becoming”, a meditation on humanity’s ongoing transformation and the evolving systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning. The Gulf is envisioned as a living palimpsest — a region where oral traditions intersect with digital networks and ancient trade routes are reimagined as contemporary flows of culture and capital. Within this layered context, art becomes a vital conduit, translating systemic shifts into form. It acts not only as a witness to history but as an active force in the continual redefinition of human identity.

Wael Shawky stated: “It is a privilege to work with Art Basel on this groundbreaking new format. The opportunity to explore artistic practices from across the MENA region and beyond, within a framework that values research, narrative, and experimentation, is extremely meaningful to me. I look forward to collaborating with galleries and artists to help shape a platform that speaks to the complexity and richness of the region while remaining globally relevant.”

Based in Doha, Shawky recently gained acclaim for his video work Drama 1882, representing Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2024). His work, spanning film, performance, and storytelling, has been the subject of solo exhibitions at institutions including Tate Modern (2022), Kunsthaus Bregenz (2016), MoMA PS1 (2015), Mathaf (2015), Serpentine Gallery (2013), and The Hammer Museum (2013), among others. His work is currently on view in the site-specific installation I Am Hymns of the New Temples at LUMA Arles, and in a solo show at the Talbot Rice Gallery at the University of Edinburgh.

Shawky has participated in major international exhibitions such as the 14th Istanbul Biennial (2015), the 11th Sharjah Biennial (2013), Documenta 13 (2012), the 9th Gwangju Biennial (2012), and SITE Santa Fe (2008). He founded MASS Alexandria, an independent studio program for young artists, in 2010. In October 2024, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Doha Fire Station, where he launched the Arts Intensive Study Program (AISP), aimed at fostering critical thinking, hands-on learning, and professional development for a cohort of 20 emerging international and Qatari artists.

The fair’s Selection Committee will include prominent gallerists from the region and beyond:

• Lorenzo Fiaschi, Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Havana, Boissy-le-Châtel, Paris, Rome, Dubai, São Paulo);
• Shireen Gandhy, Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai);
• Daniela Gareh, White Cube (London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Seoul);
• Mohammed Hafiz, Athr Gallery (Jeddah, Al Ula, Riyadh);
• Sunny Rahbar, The Third Line (Dubai);
• Gordon VeneKlasen, Michael Werner Gallery (New York, Athens, Berlin, Los Angeles, London).