"Art Basel has departed from convention for its first outing in the region. At 87 galleries, Art Basel Qatar is smaller than most and is spread across multiple venues. Galleries were asked to bring only one artist, and the presentation eschews stands in favour of a more open-plan, almost museum-like layout, with benches replacing the three-chairs-and-a-table set-up that has become the art-fair standard."
"Institutional sales are also an objective. Almost across the board, galleries are bringing major historical artists and younger practitioners with serious bodies of work. Their hope, numerous gallerists who spoke to The Art Newspaper say, is that the works will go to one of Doha's many museums, most of them run by Qatar Museums (a partner of the fair through its QC+ wing), or to other institutional collecting teams who are reportedly arriving from London, New York, Riyadh and elsewhere."
Art Basel Qatar opened with 87 galleries across multiple venues, intentionally smaller than most international fairs. Galleries were asked to present only one artist each, producing focused, museum-quality presentations in an open-plan layout where benches replace conventional booth furniture. Wael Shawky serves as artistic director, signaling an emphasis on curatorial coherence rather than pure commerce. Vincenzo de Bellis described the format as a place-specific response intended to probe artists' trajectories and engage new audiences. Galleries brought major historical names alongside younger practitioners with substantial bodies of work aimed at institutional buyers, notably Qatar Museums and visiting collecting teams.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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