Art Basel appoints Wassan Al-Khudhairi as Artistic Director

Tribune News Network

Doha

Art Basel has announced the appointment of Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as Artistic Director of the 2027 edition of Art Basel Qatar presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+.

Al-Khudhairi succeeds Wael Shawky, artist and director of Qatar Museums’ Fire Station: Artist-in-Residence, who shaped the curatorial vision for the inaugural edition alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s chief artistic officer and global director of fairs. Al-Khudhairi will develop the artistic and curatorial vision of this edition in close collaboration with de Bellis, and will guide the gallery selection process together with the fair’s dedicated Selection Committee. The second edition of Art Basel Qatar will be held from January 28 to 30, 2027, with Preview Days on January 26 and 27. Art Basel Qatar’s Premium Partner is Qatar Airways.

Al-Khudhairi brings both deep regional expertise and a globally informed curatorial practice to the role. Her longstanding connection to Qatar and the MENASA region was shaped most formatively by her tenure as Founding Director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar, where she oversaw its successful opening in 2010 and landmark exhibitions including Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art and Cai Guo-Qiang’s Saraab. A full biography is outlined below.

Art Basel Qatar has also announced the opening of gallery applications for its 2027 edition and reveals the curatorial theme that will shape the fair’s artistic program. The theme, ‘between’ explores the condition of being “between” as a generative space one that remains open and refuses a singular definition. Rather than arriving at fixed positions, ‘between’ dwells in relation, holding open a space for encounter, exchange, and fluidity, asking what becomes possible when the “between” is not a gap to be closed, but a place to inhabit.

Building on the momentum of its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar continues its long-term commitment to supporting and expanding the region’s art ecosystem while creating new pathways for exchange between the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and the broader international art world. The strong response to the 2026 fair from galleries, artists, collectors, institutions, and cultural leaders affirmed both the global relevance of the platform and the demand for deeper engagement with artistic practices emerging from and connected to the region. The 2027 edition will continue to build on this foundation through an expanded artistic program, new collaborations, and greater opportunities for galleries and audiences to engage with the region’s evolving cultural landscape of the region.

The second edition will maintain the same curated format introduced for the inaugural fair, with gallery presentations taking the form of focused solo showcases that foreground individual artistic voices and respond directly to the fair’s theme. The fair will once again be hosted across Msheireb Downtown Doha in its established venues: the Doha Design District (DDD) and M7 cultural forum. The 2027 edition will significantly elevate its Special Projects sector, offering visitors expanded and unparalleled immersive experiences across multiple formats.

Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of Art Basel Fairs, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Wassan Al-Khudhairi as Artistic Director of Art Basel Qatar 2027. I want to express our deep gratitude to Wael Shawky, whose vision and commitment were instrumental in shaping the inaugural edition and establishing the foundation on which we now build. Wassan’s longstanding engagement with artists, institutions, and audiences across MENASA and beyond positions her exceptionally well to shape the next chapter of the fair.”

Wassan Al-Khudhairi said: “It is an honour to take on the role of Artistic Director for Art Basel Qatar 2027. 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. Art Basel Qatar represents an exciting new model for what a curated fair can be — one where a rigorous curatorial vision and a thriving art market are not in tension but mutually reinforcing.”

Al-Khudhairi holds an MA in Islamic Art and Architecture from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. She is a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute and a fellow of the Centre for Curatorial Leadership programme, and in 2020, she was honoured with ArtTable’s New Leadership Award.