Qatar is moving ahead with what Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani describes as its most ambitious cultural season yet, despite regional conflict. The Qatar Museums chairperson says cultural programming is especially important during periods of political division because it can create space for dialogue and empathy.
The season began on Oct. 27 with “Erdem: About Time, About Her,” the first major exhibition devoted to the designer’s 20-year-old fashion house, alongside “Around the World in Jewellery,” presented with L’École, School of Jewelry Arts and supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Design Doha and Rubaiya Qatar are also scheduled for this month, followed by events including Fashion Trust Arabia and the Doha Film Festival.
Speaking as she announced the second edition of Art Basel Qatar, Al Mayassa said the country had been caught up in a regional war it did not create and emphasized Qatar’s commitment to dialogue and peaceful coexistence. The inaugural Art Basel Qatar had concluded in February shortly before the conflict broke out. The fair is due to return from Jan. 28 to 30, with 82 galleries from 37 countries and territories.
Al Mayassa said her team continued working during the conflict, even as Qatar faced incoming attacks. She argued that culture can address needs that political leaders may overlook, and described hope as the purpose of cultural institutions during a crisis. Rather than reduce activity, Qatar’s calendar includes Design Doha, the country’s first contemporary art quadrennial, Rubaiya Qatar, and the unveiling of a permanent Doha Pavilion commission by Gerhard Richter.
Al Mayassa has spent two decades building Qatar’s cultural infrastructure, including the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar. Although she initially hoped to pursue diplomacy, she said her father redirected her toward culture, which became her vocation. She sees cultural work as a form of diplomacy that can communicate beyond political agendas.
That approach also informs fashion initiatives. Al Mayassa co-chairs Fashion Trust Arabia and says fashion can serve as cultural diplomacy, particularly in an industry she views as Eurocentric. After noticing strong interest in fashion among applicants to the Fire Station artist residency, she helped establish M7, a hub for fashion, design and technology, and later partnered with Tania Fares to launch Fashion Trust Arabia.
The prize’s eighth edition is set to take place in Doha on Nov. 28, with 21 finalists from 11 countries competing for seven awards. Fashion is also represented in the season through the Erdem exhibition, which examines recurring themes across the designer’s work rather than following a chronological format. It includes a collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art, pairing pieces from Moralioglu’s archive with objects from the museum’s collection.
Working within a 25-year cultural plan under Qatar National Vision 2030, Al Mayassa says she is looking beyond the conflict to questions of rebuilding trust and communities. She sees culture as a way to encourage empathy and recall how people have lived together. The current Doha season is scheduled to continue through Art Basel Qatar in January, with further programming planned to begin again in April.
Sources: WWD.