Art Basel Just Wrapped Up Its Inaugural Edition In Qatar

With art fairs in Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris, and its flagship location in Basel, Art Basel recently added to its annual schedule of events with a week-long showcase in Doha, Qatar.

The arrival of the contemporary art fair was, naturally, met with anticipation from those in the industry, with many quick to predict which artists and galleries would be part of the line-up. Having wrapped up the inaugural edition last week, Hypebeast takes a look back at the presentations and Special Projects that came out on top amongst its 17,000+ visitors.

Kicking off the event, chairperson of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, led an intimate discussion with arts patron and founder of LUMA, Maja Hoffmann, and Serpentine Gallery art director Hans Ulrich Obrist. As part of Art Basel’s Conversations series, the “Leaders of Change” panel talk explored the ways new platforms can shape cultural frameworks and how different forms of patronage can attribute resilience and credibility to the audiences they serve.

Those looking to find out more about the growing arts scene in the region were invited to discover the array of solo exhibitions, which focused primarily on spotlighting MENASA and diasporic artists. Set up across Msheireb Downtown Doha in two main venues at M7 Cultural Forum and Doha Design District, the open format brought together vibrant masterpieces from relief painter Aiza Ahmed, fine artist MARWAN, and sculptor Meriem Bennani, to name a few.

Embracing Doha’s architectural backdrop, Art Basel also commissioned nine large-scale works to be installed in a number of public spaces across Msheireb. On the first preview night, Hassan Khan was welcomed to put on an immersive music performance for VIP guests. Rayyane Tabet, a Lebanese artist known for his sculptural and architectural works, turned a heritage courtyard into a palm frond pavilion with What Dreams May Come while South African architect Sumayya Vally introduced her shape-shifting installation Assembly of Lovers to Msheireb’s Barahat Square.

Elsewhere, light projections and graphic displays kept the cultural festivities going late into the evening. Conceptual artist Jenny Holzer employed drones for her signature text light installation that projected poems from the late Mahmoud Darwish onto the face of the Museum of Islamic Art, striking an emotional response from crowds throughout the week.

Reflecting on the debut edition in Qatar, CEO of Art Basel Noah Horowitz shared, “We have laid the foundations of a fair worthy of the MENASA region’s dynamism and potential, and one positioned to support the elevation of artists and the development of market infrastructure for the long term. The depth and quality of engagement reported by our galleries, and the energy evident across the fair, Msheireb, and Doha more widely, have been exceptional.”

To find out more about the recent showcase in Qatar, and to buy tickets for the upcoming show in Hong Kong, head to Art Basel’s website now.