Art Basel has appointed celebrated Egyptian artist and filmmaker Wael Shawky as Artistic Director of its inaugural Qatar edition, set to take place in Doha in 2025. The announcement marks a pivotal moment for the region’s cultural landscape, as the world’s leading contemporary art fair expands into the Middle East for the first time.
Shawky, known for his deep engagement with Arab history, myth, and identity, brings a singular curatorial voice to the role. His multidisciplinary work spanning film, installation, and performance, has been shown at major institutions including MoMA PS1, the Serpentine Galleries, and the Sharjah Biennial. Now, he steps into a leadership position that will shape the tone and vision of Art Basel’s debut in the Gulf.
“Wael’s practice is rooted in rigorous research and an expansive understanding of storytelling across cultures,” said Marc Spiegler, Art Basel’s global director. “He is uniquely positioned to contextualize contemporary art from the Arab world in dialogue with global practices.”
Art Basel is developing the Qatar fair in partnership with Qatar Museums and plans to feature curated exhibitions, large-scale installations, and panel discussions alongside the main gallery sector. Shawky’s appointment signals a clear intention to move beyond the commercial, positioning the fair as a critical platform for ideas as well as cultural discourse.
For Shawky, the role offers an opportunity to deepen international understanding of Arab contemporary art. “This is not just about presenting artworks,” he said. “It’s about creating connections, between histories, artists, and audiences.”
Art Basel Qatar will break with the traditional booth layout. Instead, each of the roughly 50 galleries will present a solo artist project centered on the thematic framework “Becoming.” This format encourages exploration of identity, transformation, and cultural systems, especially in the Gulf and broader MENA region. The fair will also span multiple venues: M7 in Doha’s Design District, public sites in Msheireb, and the Design District itself.
