If what initially appears under the harsh Arabian desert sun are differences, from religious practices to clothing, that distance disappears like a mirage when it comes to art. Among the Gulf countries, biennale and commissioned works appear in public spaces, new galleries and archaeological museums. among them, Qatar is advancing its plan to become a force on the global artistic sceneWhether the West likes it or not, through a myriad of measures.
Around the end of the year, the country that will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022 put out a call for global fans to take photos from their mobile phones to join in. Under the same skyIt is a photography exhibition for professionals and amateurs that will open the 2026 Cup tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, at the Qatari embassies in the organizing countries. A few days ago, news of the company came with a wave of shock: in a free zone near Hamad Airport – itself filled with works of art – A state-of-the-art center will be built in the Gulf region To store and handle works of art, ensuring museum quality. A workmanship Where the Swiss had absolute control.
The project is in line with Qatar’s growing role as a host of major cultural events. The closest is Art Basel Qatar, which is preparing to debut in February 2026. “We chose Qatar for the cultural vision of the future,” he said. Vincenzo De Bellisartistic director and global director of Art Basel, told this reporter during the show that was held in Doha last October. It was so Noah HorowitzThe CEO of Art Basel confirmed that of the 87 participating galleries, half of them are from the region and many of them are from major galleries, in a gesture of support. He focused on developing art and collectibles in the region, which includes North Africa and South Asia, The exhibition arrives in a very attractive format For fans of the exhausting international art agenda: a smaller gallery, with stands with fixed and reasonable prices, one artist per pavilion and a general curator, in this case Al-Masry Wael Shawkyresponsible for precise local thought with global tools, in two headquarters that restore the concept of mortality. Expectations are not decreasing.
With installation in the adjacent public park Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) by Indonesian artist Rerkrit TiravanijaIt was also announced in October Qatar Spring 2026a contemporary art exhibition held every four years as an institutional event, will be installed in November 2026. Until then, “2025 Without Bread Nor Ashes,” the work of Rerkrit, whose parents were diplomats born in Buenos Aires, and who was also inspired by the Argentine Victor Gripo, whom he met at a 1991 gallery in New York, will be installed. To the garden that surrounds the wonderful museum, the work of the Chinese-American architect I.M.BAt sunset, families are expected to share four different types of bread from the region, which are cooked in separate ovens. Demographic metaphor: 90 percent of its population comes from other countries.
Qatar’s exchange with the world through culture has been in constant shape since 2012. Each year with a different country (or two countries), the Years of Culture program runs different collaborative events. This is what happened in 2025 with Argentina and Chile, hosts and visitors systematically. The revisionist spirit dates back to April of this year, when it arrived at the National Museum of Qatar latin americathe first major exhibition of Latin American art in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region with gems from the Malba Collections and the Eduardo Costantini. On its country tour, the exhibition attracted thousands of visitors and was hailed as a great success. In the courtyard of the wonderful museum designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel It opened in 2009 a copy of Sculpting a dream By Marta Minujin. The 16-piece inflatable installation was originally displayed in Times Square and invited visitors to walk through a sensory “tunnel.”
Already in the second semester The National Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary with a comprehensive exhibition Which traces its origins as the first museum of its kind in the region, as well as a history animated by its contradictions: before the first oil export in 1948, pearling was the country’s main economy. And there, behind elegant displays of the finest display glass imaginable and obtainable, are displayed the white cotton suits in which men went into the ocean so as not to tempt sharks, a knife in their mouths and a stone at their feet to gain depth. The coveted pearls, and the gold they obtained through their trade and wars between the nomadic tribes that make up the nation, are Whether in the form of original effects or in old videos and touch screens That takes up an entire wall.
Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, sister of the current Emir, is director of the museum network in the country. Qatar MuseumsHe is responsible for putting Qatar on the global art map.
In August, the “Qatar Reads” exhibition was presented in Buenos Aires, an initiative of the Qatar National Library that included the distribution of stories from Arabic literature in the Ricardo Guiraldes Library, along with an exhibition of miniatures by the Qatari artist Wadhha Al-Athba inspired by myths. Kalila and Dimna. In September, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra excelled in its first appearance at the Teatro Colón.
Gastronomy meetings, merit exchanges, mutual volunteer work and Scouts From the stories of life in both South America and the Gulf Coast, it took place in the year 2025. During the series of October events, the Sheikha herself announced that Mexico and Canada will be the next guests. The same year they will host the World Cup.
To conclude this exceptional experience in the encounter with the amazing and the unknown, Tucuman artist Gabriel Chile will present his experience Selfie in the museum, Arab Museum of Modern ArtThis is within the framework of the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of its founding. Of Afro-Arab descent, Chailly created a monumental sculpture It fuses abstract human features with traditional ceramics. With a message about diaspora and belonging, its presence in Qatar underscores the power of Qatar and the importance of Argentine creatives at the pinnacle of global art.