Wassan Al-Khudhairi Named Artistic Director of Art Basel Qatar

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Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi has been appointed artistic director of the second edition of Art Basel Qatar, which will take place in Doha early next year.

Al-Khudhairi was formerly the founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, also in Qatar, where she oversaw the space’s opening in 2010. She has also served as the Ferring Foundation chief curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and as the Hugh Kaul curator of modern and contemporary art at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

She said: “Qatar has played a meaningful role in shaping both my career and my curatorial practice, and I look forward to bringing that deep connection to this important project.

“…I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by the inaugural edition and to collaborating with artists and galleries to realise a program that reflects the depth, nuance, and diversity of artistic practices rooted in and connected to the region.”

The fair has also announced the theme for its 2027 edition. Between / نیب will explore the condition of being “between” as an openness allowing for encounter, exchange, and fluidity, asking what becomes possible when the “between” is seen as a place to inhabit.

Al-Khudhairi added: “For the 2027 edition, between / نیب emerged from a curiosity about what becomes possible when a space is allowed to stay open—not as an absence of definition, but as an invitation for connections across generations, geographies, and perspectives.”

Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of Art Basel Fairs, praised Al-Khudhairi’s longstanding engagement with artists and institutions from across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

He said: “Her curatorial ambition is matched by a deep understanding of how art ecosystems develop—how institutions are built, how markets are nurtured, and how education and public engagement create the conditions for long-term growth. The combination of intellectual depth and entrepreneurial institutional vision is exactly what this moment calls for.” 

Al-Khudhairi succeeds the Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, who served as artistic director for the fair’s inaugural edition in 2026. The 87-gallery, open plan debut saw galleries bet on their biggest name artists in search of institutional success. 

Next year’s edition will maintain the same curated format introduced for the inaugural fair, with galleries once again presenting solo shows. It will also, however, offer an expanded special projects section, described as offering “unparalleled immersive experiences across multiple formats”.

Art Basel Qatar will return to the Doha Design District and M7 cultural forum, both in downtown Doha, from 28 to 30 January 2027. The fair will continue its partnership with major regional investor Qatar Sports Investments and cultural strategy group QC.