In February, Art Basel, an international series of modern and contemporary art fairs, held its first event in Qatar. Organizers promised “an unparalleled gateway for outstanding artistic talent from the Global South and beyond.” In one sense, it was a culmination of Doha’s decades of investment in museums, art collections and cultural education.
But bringing Art Basel to Qatar also signaled the wealthy Gulf petrostate’s desire to extend its soft power influence into the West and shape its global image. At the same time, like Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup in 2022, its cultural projects are drawing attention to repressive aspects of its society that Doha is less eager to showcase.
In the gleaming hallways of the M7 cultural hub and the Doha Design District, Qatar’s artistic ambitions coexisted uneasily with the reality of its domestic legal and social environment. The selection of artwork on display presented a progressive, postcolonial, pro-Palestine, Global South-aligned face. But outside the galleries, the ruling Al Thani family uses strict domestic policies to suppress women, LGBTQ+ people and political dissidents. It’s a formula that has proven successful and is being replicated across the region.