Nalini Malani, film still from “My Reality Is Different,” 2023–26. Part of Art Basel Qatar’s 2026 ‘Special Projects’ program.
Whether it be in Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris, or its eponymous Basel, Art Basel has been defining the world’s contemporary art scene for decades. This winter, the prestigious art fair will launch its newest edition, venturing to the Middle East for the first time since its founding in 1970. Set to run from February 5–7, 2026, in Doha, Art Basel Qatar marks a significant milestone for the region, offering it a long-deserved global platform.
The inaugural edition of the art fair will present some 87 galleries, representing more than 31 countries and territories. But, unlike the organization’s other offerings, Art Basel Qatar is forgoing a traditional layout, opting instead for a carefully curated, thematic model centered around “becoming.” At the heart of this framework is the Special Projects program, an innovative series of nine large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations, and performances that will unfold within the exhibition space—and beyond. Doha itself will serve as an artistic venue, with M7, the Doha Design District, and other public spaces around Msheireb housing various interventions throughout the fair.
Curated by Art Basel Qatar’s artistic director Wael Shawky, in close collaboration with Art Basel’s chief artistic officer and global director Vincenzo de Bellis, Special Projects may capture the fair’s “becoming” theme most effectively. Each of the nine works considers transformation as the basis of artistic production, examining everything from metamorphoses, transitions, and thresholds, to upheavals, political shifts, and identity. Nalini Malani’s My Reality Is Different, for instance, is a monumental, single channel meditation upon migration, Westernization, femininity, and art history, repurposing paintings from the National Gallery’s collection in London. Nour Jaouda, on the other hand, has reimagined a rest house, rendered through intersecting steel walls, layered architectural drawings, and suspended textile fragments. The structure seems to encourage a moment of self-reflection, where viewers can project their own aspirations, memories, and personalities upon the work’s skeletal, scaffold-like forms.
The art fair’s Galleries section will be equally immersive, gathering work from renowned galleries such as David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace Gallery. Regional institutions will also be featured, including Dubai’s Gallery Isabelle, Cairo’s Gypsum Gallery, Jeddah’s Athr Gallery, and Beirut’s Sfeir-Semler Gallery. Notably, more than half of the fair’s 84 international artists hail from the MENASA region, ranging from North Africa to South Asia. As is to be expected, each showcase explores the notion of “becoming,” through works highlighting ancient civilizations, literature, and personal history; video installations interrogating spectacle, authoritarianism, and commodification; hand-formed ceramic sculptures that twist into frozen gestures; and embroidered textiles considering symbols of conflict.
“Each presentation brings a practice that is deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the Gulf and its extended geographies, while also pushing conversations forward in bold and unexpected ways,” Shawky said in a statement. “Together, they activate Msheireb with fresh perspectives and new encounters that reshape how audiences engage with place.”
Taken in its entirety, Art Basel Qatar is not simply an art fair—it’s an incubator, providing yet another crucial stage for artists across the MENASA region. The initiative also joins a slate of other cultural events, including Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art, and the Diriyah Biennale, among others.
To learn more about the art fair, its program, and ticket availability, visit the Art Basel website.
This winter, Art Basel will inaugurate its newest contemporary art fair in Qatar, featuring nearly 90 galleries alongside an exciting slate of special programs.
Mohamed Monaisser, “I, Pet Lion (The Royal Crown),” 2022. (Courtesy of Gypsum Gallery)
MARWAN, “Licht,” 1973. (Photo: Courtesy of Sfeir Semler Gallery, Hamburg)
Nour Jaouda, “Matters of Time,” 2025. Installation view featuring “The Iris Grows on Both Sides of the Fence,” 2025, at Spike Island, Bristol. Part of Art Basel Qatar’s 2026 “Special Projects” program.
Shirin Neshat, video still from “Do U Dare!” 2025. (Photo: Courtesy of Lia Rumma Gallery, Milan / Naples)
Pascale Marthine Tayou, “Poupée Pascale (Hybridation),” 2023. (Photo: Duccio Benvenuti, courtesy of GALLERIA CONTINUA)
Art Basel Qatar will be held February 5–7, 2026, in Doha.
Halil Altındere, “Turkish Military Drones Rug-1,” 2023. Digital artist: Utku Turan, artifical intelligence support. (Photo: Courtesy of PILOT Gallery, Istanbul)
El Anatsui, “Continents in Gestation,” 2024. (Photo: Courtesy of October Gallery, London)
Nalini Malani, film still from “My Reality Is Different,” 2023–26. Part of Art Basel Qatar’s 2026 “Special Projects” program.
Hazem Harb, “4# Reformulated Archeology,” 2018. (Courtesy of Tabari Artspace)
Art Basel: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Art Basel.
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