Latest news with #WaelShawky
ILoveQatar.net
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ILoveQatar.net
Art Basel Qatar reveals new format for inaugural fair, international artist Wael Shawky appointed as Artistic Director
Art Basel is proud to reveal first details of its newly launched fair in Qatar, which will unfold in M7 creative hub in the heart of Doha's Design District from 5 to 7 February 2026, with Preview Days on 3 and 4 February 2026. For its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will depart from the traditional booth model to introduce a new fair format grounded in artistic vision and conceptual rigor. Conceived by Art Basel as a platform to foster deeper engagement with leading galleries and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and further afield, the show will prioritize an engaging experience that maintains strong market relevance. Art Basel Qatar is a joint initiative between Art Basel, MCH Group, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and QC+. Additionally, Art Basel Qatar is delighted to announce the appointment of internationally acclaimed, Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky as Artistic Director for the first edition of the fair. Together with Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel's Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs, Shawky will lead the curatorial vision of the 2026 edition and guide the gallery selection process, in consultation with the fair's dedicated Selection Committee. He brings deep regional insight and a multidisciplinary approach that aligns with the fair's ambitions, including plans to transform Qatar Museum's Fire Station into a platform for educational programs. Art Basel Qatar will embrace an open-format exhibition, with solo presentations by galleries responding to a central thematic framework, defined and developed by Art Basel's artistic leadership to serve as both anchor and catalyst for the show. The exhibition will unfold across two key venues – M7 and the Doha Design District – as well as selected public sites in Msheireb, Doha's creative and cultural heart. Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs for Art Basel, said: 'With Art Basel Qatar, we are pushing the boundaries of the art fair model – placing artistic intention at its core while responding to today's market. This format allows us to support galleries in presenting artists' work with greater depth and resonance. Doha is an ideal context for this evolution: It is a place where cultural ambition meets a rich and layered history, and where experimentation is both welcomed and supported. For our inaugural edition, we are thrilled to work with Wael Shawky, who brings a rare combination of intellectual precision, visual imagination, and regional knowledge.' In its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will explore the theme 'Becoming' – a meditation on humanity's ongoing transformation and the evolving systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning. The Gulf emerges as a living palimpsest – a region where oral traditions intersect with digital networks, and ancient trade routes are reimagined as contemporary flows of culture and capital. Within this layered context, art becomes a vital conduit, translating systemic shifts into form. It acts not only as a witness to history but as an active force in the continual redefinition of human identity. Wael Shawky said: 'It is a privilege to work with Art Basel on this groundbreaking new format. The opportunity to explore artistic practices from across the MENA region and beyond, within a framework that values research, narrative, and experimentation, is extremely meaningful to me. I look forward to collaborating with galleries and artists to help shape a platform that speaks to the complexity and richness of the region while remaining globally relevant.' Based in Doha, Wael Shawky most recently won acclaim for his video work Drama 1882, representing Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2024). His work, which ranges widely among film, performance, and storytelling, has been the subject of solo exhibitions at institutions including Tate Modern (2022), Kunsthaus Bregenz (2016), MoMA PS1 (2015), Mathaf (2015), Serpentine Gallery (2013), and The Hammer (2013), among others. Shawky's work is currently on view in the site-specific installation I Am Hymns of the New Temples at LUMA Arles, as well as a solo show at the University of Edinburgh's Talbot Rice Gallery. He has participated in major international exhibitions including the 14th Istanbul Biennial (2015), the 11th Sharjah Biennial (2013), Documenta 13 (2012), the 9th Gwangju Biennial (2012), and SITE Santa Fe (2008). Shawky founded MASS Alexandria, an independent studio program for young artists, in 2010. In October 2024, Shawky was appointed Artistic Director of the Doha Fire Station, where he has launched the Arts Intensive Study Program (AISP) designed to foster critical thinking, hands-on learning, and professional development for a cohort of 20 emerging international and Qatari artists. The fair's dedicated Selection Committee will comprise leading gallery representatives from the region and beyond: Lorenzo Fiaschi, Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Havana, Boissy-le-Châtel, Paris, Rome, Dubai, São Paulo); Shireen Gandhy, Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai); Daniela Gareh, White Cube (London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Seoul); Mohammed Hafiz, Athr Gallery (Jeddah, Al Ula, Riyadh); Sunny Rahbar, The Third Line (Dubai), and Gordon VeneKlasen, Michael Werner Gallery (New York, Athens, Berlin, Los Angeles, London).
Qatar Tribune
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
Art Basel Qatar unveils format for its inaugural fair
Tribune News Network Doha Art Basel has revealed first details of its newly launched fair in Qatar, which will unfold in M7 creative hub in the heart of Doha's Design District from February 5 to 7, 2026, with Preview Days on February 3 and 4. For its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will depart from the traditional booth model to introduce a new fair format grounded in artistic vision and conceptual rigor. Conceived by Art Basel as a platform to foster deeper engagement with leading galleries and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and further afield, the show will prioritize an engaging experience that maintains strong market relevance. Art Basel Qatar also announced the appointment of internationally acclaimed, Egyptian-born artist Wael Shawky as Artistic Director for the first edition of the fair. Together with Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel's chief artistic officer and global director of fairs, Shawky will lead the curatorial vision of the 2026 edition and guide the gallery selection process, in consultation with the fair's dedicated Selection Committee. He brings deep regional insight and a multidisciplinary approach that aligns with the fair's ambitions, including plans to transform Qatar Museum's Fire Station into a platform for educational programmes. Art Basel Qatar will embrace an open-format exhibition, with solo presentations by galleries responding to a central thematic framework, defined and developed by Art Basel's artistic leadership to serve as both anchor and catalyst for the show. The exhibition will unfold across two key venues – M7 and the Doha Design District – as well as selected public sites in Msheireb, Doha's creative and cultural heart. Vincenzo de Bellis, chief artistic officer and global director of fairs for Art Basel, said: 'With Art Basel Qatar, we are pushing the boundaries of the art fair model – placing artistic intention at its core while responding to today's market. This format allows us to support galleries in presenting artists' work with greater depth and resonance. Doha is an ideal context for this evolution: It is a place where cultural ambition meets a rich and layered history, and where experimentation is both welcomed and supported. For our inaugural edition, we are thrilled to work with Wael Shawky, who brings a rare combination of intellectual precision, visual imagination, and regional knowledge.' In its inaugural edition, Art Basel Qatar will explore the theme 'Becoming' – a meditation on humanity's ongoing transformation and the evolving systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning. The Gulf emerges as a living palimpsest – a region where oral traditions intersect with digital networks, and ancient trade routes are reimagined as contemporary flows of culture and capital. Within this layered context, art becomes a vital conduit, translating systemic shifts into form. It acts not only as a witness to history but as an active force in the continual redefinition of human identity. Wael Shawky said: 'It is a privilege to work with Art Basel on this groundbreaking new format. The opportunity to explore artistic practices from across the MENA region and beyond, within a framework that values research, narrative, and experimentation, is extremely meaningful to me. I look forward to collaborating with galleries and artists to help shape a platform that speaks to the complexity and richness of the region while remaining globally relevant.' Based in Doha, Wael Shawky most recently won acclaim for his video work Drama 1882, representing Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2024).The fair's dedicated Selection Committee will comprise leading gallery representatives from the region and beyond: Lorenzo Fiaschi, Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Beijing, Havana, Boissy-le-Châtel, Paris, Rome, Dubai, São Paulo); Shireen Gandhy, Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai); Daniela Gareh, White Cube (London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Seoul); Mohammed Hafiz, Athr Gallery (Jeddah, Al Ula, Riyadh); Sunny Rahbar, The Third Line (Dubai), and Gordon VeneKlasen, Michael Werner Gallery (New York, Athens, Berlin, Los Angeles, London).Wael Shawky named artistic director for first edition
The National
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Wael Shawky named artistic director of Art Basel Qatar
Egyptian artist Wael Shawky has been named artistic director of Art Basel Qatar. The appointment cements the reimagining of the fair's format for its Gulf debut, moving away from conventional booths to a more open, interwoven setting. The event will run from February 5 to 7, with preview days on February 3 and 4. It will be held across M7 and the Doha Design District. Select installations and exhibitions will also be presented in Msheireb, Doha's cultural hub. Shawky, who represented Egypt at the 2024 Venice Biennale, is best known for his ambitious works that blend historical narrative, myth and contemporary critique. His Cabaret Crusades trilogy, featuring intricately crafted puppets retelling the Crusades from an Arab perspective, has been exhibited internationally. More recently, he has taken on an institutional role as artistic director of Qatar Museums' Fire Station, where he has overseen new public programmes and artist residencies. While fair directorships are typically held by curators or market specialists, Shawky's appointment marks a shift toward a model led by an practising artist. Rather than traditional booths, participating galleries will present solo exhibitions within a shared curatorial framework, offering a narrative-led experience. Presentations will pivot around the fair's theme of Becoming. The concept is described on the Art Basel website as 'a meditation on humanity's ongoing transformation and the evolving systems that shape how we live, believe, and create meaning'. 'It is a privilege to work with Art Basel on this groundbreaking new format,' Shawky said in a statement to Cairo Scene. 'The opportunity to explore artistic practices from across the Mena region and beyond, within a framework that values research, narrative, and experimentation, is extremely meaningful to me. 'I look forward to collaborating with galleries and artists to help shape a platform that speaks to the complexity and richness of the region while remaining globally relevant.' Shawky will lead the artistic vision of the fair alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel's director of fairs and exhibition platforms. 'I have a huge amount of respect for Wael's work as an artist and also for his knowledge of the region,' de Bellis told Artnet. 'We have always hired people who are very rooted within where we operate. Wael is a well-rounded art professional; while being always and first and foremost an artist, he is also able to look at things through a wider lens.'
The Herald Scotland
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
10 exhibitions to see this month from Dali to Alexander Goudie
The second chapter in the Scottish Gallery's celebration of Alexander Goudie's life and work explores the two studios of the artist located in Glasgow and Brittany. The studios formed the creative focal points of his entire career with the exhibition featuring several of the sunlit seascapes and landscapes from his French studio as well as elegant still lifes and portraits produced in Glasgow. Humpty Dumpty 5 July-5 October. Entry free. Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DF. British artist Mike Nelson is known for immersive, absorbing installations that transform the spaces they inhabit. Nelson uses the Fruitmarket's warehouse as the driving force for a major new installation that extends across all three spaces of the gallery which is built around two sets of photographs taken in London and a city in Eastern Turkey between 2010 and 2014. Since the start of May, the artist has transformed the warehouse into both a site of production and part of the setting for his work. Wael Shawky 5 July-28 September. Entry free. Talbot Rice Gallery, The University of Edinburgh, EH8 9YL. To celebrate Talbot Rice Gallery's 50th anniversary, they're hosting a solo exhibition of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky across their contemporary and neoclassical galleries. Shawky's film installations explore histories that have shaped our world and utilise intricately created sets and painted environments to host exquisitely crafted and costumed characters who perform versions of history connected to conflicts that continue to rage around us. Salvage 5-30 July. Entry free. &Gallery, 3 Dundas Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6QG. Salvage by Karen Stamper (Image: Karen Stamper) After first introducing her work during &Gallery's inaugural open call, Karen Stamper returns with her latest body of work - a bold and playful series of collage paintings that move beyond their original inspiration. In this series, marks and edges are no longer incidental - they become the subject themselves with each kink, curve and blemish heightened and celebrated. Shipshape 5-26 July. Entry from £5. Strathnaver Museum, Clachan, Bettyhill, Thurso, KW14 7SS. Research based visual artist Joanne B. Kaar explores the heritage of traditional boat building in her exciting new exhibition. As part of Strathaven Museum's Artist Residency programme, Kaar explores traditional boat building skills and tools using a variety of printmaking techniques. Inspired by Strathnaver Museum's community boat building project, the artist worked with local boat builders seeking to preserve the intangible cultural heritage around traditional boat building techniques and tools at risk of being lost. Odysseys Through the Storm 8-12 July. Entry free. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, EH6 8RG. Catch this captivating exhibition showcasing the work of art psychotherapy graduates from Queen Margaret University. Explore the profound personal and collective journeys of the students' training, navigated through creativity and self-expression, where each work tells a story of resilience, discovery and the power of visual storytelling in navigating life's challenges. Inches Carr Award Showcase 5-6 July. Entry free. Dundas Street Gallery, 6A Dundas Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6HZ. The Inches Carr Craft Development Award Showcase exhibition highlights extraordinary creativity, technical skill and original design from a breadth of disciplines across Scottish applied arts. The shortlist of 16 crafters and makers have put together the exhibition with a body of 2D and 3D artworks. Glasgow Scribes Exhibition - Calligraphy: The Art and Craft of Beautiful Writing 5-14 July. Entry free. Cass Art, 63-67 Queen Street, Glasgow, G1 3EN. Members of Glasgow Scribes will be displaying a wide range of calligraphy items and writing as part of their end of year annual exhibition. The scribes' best calligraphy pieces will once again be on display for members of the public to view. Dali Day at Kelvingrove 9 July. Entry free. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AG. Dali Day at Kelvingrove (Image: unknown) Discover more about celebrated artist Salvador Dali at Kelvingrove. There's short talks, family activities and a chance to share your thoughts on the museum's Dali painting. Some of the talks include: 'Buying and Art Event - the controversial purchase' and 'How Dali created Christ of Saint John of the Cross'. Reachout - The Art of Us 5-26 July. Entry free. Tolbooth Gallery, Jail Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1DE. Established in 1993, Reachout is an innovative and inclusive award-winning charity based in Alloa that facilitates high quality creative opportunities to improve wellbeing. This exhibition showcases a small selection of artforms undertaken in the charity's studio.
The Herald Scotland
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Why Arabic art is everywhere in Scotland now – and why it matters
But the subject is bigger than that, and in its widest and most urgently modern form the study of Arabic culture – and in particular the art and artefacts it produces – is currently being propelled out of its once narrow academic silo and onto our streets and galleries. Yes, geo-politics has something to do with it. But that's not the whole story. Few will have missed the opening in Edinburgh last month of the Palestine Museum. Located on Dundas Street in the New Town, it is devoted to contemporary Palestinian art and is the first of its kind in Europe. And if you make the journey across the Tay to visit the excellent Garden Futures exhibition at V&A Dundee you'll find a chunk of the show devoted to garden design as a force of cultural expression in various places, including in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank. In the same show there's also a massive, wall-mounted mosaic panel in yellows and blues showing floral motifs and dating from the 17th century. It was originally sited in Isfahan, the ancient city in Iran renowned for its Persian-Muslim architecture. Elsewhere Iranian film director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or for It Was Just An Accident, shot secretly in his homeland, and No Other Land, by the Palestinian-Israeli team of Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards. The Middle East and its art is swirling all around us, if we care to look. Back in Dundee, meanwhile, the V&A is about to open a new exhibition titled Thread Memory. It uses textile design to tell the history of Palestinian dress and tatreez – the elaborate hand-embroidery through which women mark their identities and chart the ups and downs of their lives. Some of the textile exhibits are from the V&A mother-ship in London, though some have come from the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the Occupied West Bank. There's also a selection of jewellery, veils and archival photographs, and the show has been mounted in part to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Dundee's twin city relationship with Nablus, which has a population of 150,000 and sits just north of Jerusalem. That show opens on June 26. Still from a video work by Wael Shawky (Image: Wael Shawky) There's more. Heading south-west from Nablus and south from Dundee brings us to Egypt and Edinburgh. The first is the birthplace of artist Wael Shawky, who last year represented the country at the 60th Venice Biennale and whose video work uses puppetry to dissect the legacy of the crusades among other things. The second is home to the Talbot Rice Gallery, where Sawky sets up from June 28 in an expansive exhibition which promises to be once of the centrepieces of this year's Edinburgh Art Festival. Artistic events and innovations like these don't alter the day to day reality of life in the region. The bombs and missiles continue to fall. But enquiring minds willing to engage with the contemporary art and culture of the Arab world will find context and explanation in these places – and maybe even a dash of hope. Please do take up the offer. Egyptian artist Wael Shawky sets up from June 28 in an expansive exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery (Image: Wael Shawky) Home time Its seven year refit must have tried the nerves and the patience of all involved, but no matter: Glasgow's feted Citizens Theatre finally re-opens on September 12 with the premiere of Small Acts Of Love, a major new work about the bonds forged between the people of Lockerbie and the American relatives of those who lost their lives in the bombing of Pan Am 103 over the town in December 1988. Now, full cast details have been announced for the 14-strong production which will be led by Blythe Duff. Featuring music by Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross in collaboration with playwright Frances Poet, the show will use a five-piece band including Louis Abbott, frontman of Mercury Prize-nominated Admiral Fallow, and Jill O'Sullivan, formerly with Sparrow And The Workshop and now performing as Jill Lorean. Also in the cast are Robbie Jack and Beth Marshall, who both appeared in BBC dramas Lockerbie: The Bombing Of Pan Am 103. Read more: 'To be announcing our cast for Small Acts Of Love is an exciting and pivotal moment in our journey home,' says Citz director Dominic Hill. 'Ranging from some of the most experienced and well-known actors in Scotland to newly graduated stars of the future, this cast and this production announce the ambition and quality of the new Citizens Theatre.' Lots to look forward to, then. And ahead of that, the Citz will be mounting a multi-day autumn Homecoming festival to whet the appetite for what promises to be a welcome re-awakening. And finally The Herald critics have sharpening their pens, filling their notebooks and – in the case of intrepid reporter Martin Williams – pogoing in the grass at Bellahouston Park, but each leaving the show with a surfeit of observations and opinions. At regular hunting ground Òran Mór, theatre critic Neil Cooper watched Gothic comedy-drama The Haunting Of Agnes Gilfrey, a co-production between Mull Theatre and the island's An Tobar art centre. He also visited Pitlochry Festival Theatre where he enjoyed a revival of Grease, strengthened he thinks by owing more to the original stage show than the blockbuster film version. The pogoing came courtesy of the throng of ageing punks who turned up to watch an outdoor Punk All-Dayer featuring The Stranglers, The Undertones, The Rezillos, Buzzcocks and Skids, and headlined by the Sex Pistols, with Frank Carter replacing you-know-who on vocals. Good fun. All that remains to be determined is what is the proper collective noun for a bunch of ageing punks moshing to Anarchy In The UK, No More Heroes and Into The Valley. Answers on a beermat, please. Finally, Gabriel McKay headed to a hot and sweaty King Tut's Wah Wah Hut to see Mallrat, aka fast-rising Brisbane-born indie pop challenger Grace Shaw. Plot the mid-point between Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey and you won't be far off a description of her winning pop sound.
