ArtDayMe :Azadeh Jafarian: When Art Basel opens in Doha from February 5–7, 2026 (with preview days on February 3–4), it won’t simply be adding a new destination to its calendar. It will be acknowledging a transformation already in motion—one that places the Middle East at the center of contemporary cultural production rather than on its margins.

Joining Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris, Art Basel Qatar becomes the fair’s fifth premier edition. Hosted across M7, Doha’s creative hub, and the Doha Design District in Msheireb, the inaugural fair is intentionally different: more focused, more reflective, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

Much like Beckham’s 90-minute photographic challenge—decisive, intentional, and precise—the fair moves away from the traditional maze of commercial booths. Instead, it introduces a new exhibition format centered on solo presentations shaped by a shared curatorial vision. This approach invites slower looking, deeper thinking, and more meaningful encounters between artists, galleries, and audiences.

That guiding theme, Becoming, explores humanity in transition—how identities, belief systems, and social structures continuously evolve. It’s a theme that resonates strongly in Doha, a city where tradition and future-facing ambition exist side by side, and one Beckham’s lens subtly reflects.

The artistic direction of the inaugural edition is led by Wael Shawky, the Egyptian-born artist known for his layered engagement with history and storytelling, working alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs. Shawky’s role extends beyond the fairgrounds, activating Qatar Museums’ Fire Station with education initiatives and public programming that broaden the fair’s cultural footprint.

Art Basel Qatar is anchored in a long-term partnership with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+, and unfolds within a cultural ecosystem shaped by Qatar Museums, under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Over the past two decades, Qatar has established itself as a cultural capital, with landmark institutions and forthcoming projects including the Art Mill Museum, Lusail Museum, and a permanent Qatar Pavilion in Venice’s Giardini della Biennale.

The 2026 edition will bring together 87 galleries from 31 countries and territories, including 16 first-time participants. International heavyweights—such as Acquavella Galleries (Jean-Michel Basquiat), Gagosian (Christo), White Cube (Georg Baselitz), David Zwirner (Marlene Dumas), and Hauser & Wirth (Philip Guston)—appear alongside influential regional galleries including al markhiya gallery, Green Art Gallery, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Tabari Artspace, and Gallery Isabelle.

Artists span generations and geographies, from icons like Mona Hatoum, Shirin Neshat, El Anatsui, Etel Adnan, Huguette Caland, and Hassan Sharif, to contemporary voices such as Manal AlDowayan, Ahmed Mater, Ali Cherri, Shilpa Gupta, Torkwase Dyson, Lucy Bull, and Anicka Yi—together forming a layered conversation on memory, power, materiality, and belonging.