Overview
- Roughly 85 galleries present solo projects under the theme “Becoming,” led by artistic director Wael Shawky, with more than half of artists from Southwest Asia and North Africa.
- The fair stretches across seven venues in the Msheireb district, including M7 and the Doha Design District, with courtyard commissions reinforcing an exhibition-style experience.
- Booth rules exclude built-in power and standard furniture and limit rehanging, encouraging slower viewing and constraining video and large installations.
- Blue-chip dealers aim for institutional acquisitions, with Hauser & Wirth showing Philip Guston, David Zwirner presenting Marlene Dumas, and Acquavella bringing Jean-Michel Basquiat.
- Institutional delegations arrived after the Diriyah Biennale, VIP hospitality is extensive, questions persist over who subsidized shipping and fees, and Sheikha Al-Mayassa signaled future expansion to the Lusail Museum site.