Entertainment · Books & Arts · 6 hrs ago
Rubaiya Qatar Names More Than 120 Artists for Its First Edition
Rubaiya Qatar has named more than 120 artists for its first edition, a new contemporary art event in Doha.
It is presented by Qatar Museums with ALRIWAQ Arts + Architecture and opens at venues across Doha on November 21.
Unlike many recurring art exhibitions, it will consist of three shows at different institutions, alongside public art.
The main show, “Unruly Waters,” will feature around 54 artists and collectives, with 30 presenting new works.
Its themes include the links between ecology, human movement and global connections, with Qatar among the places explored.
The other exhibitions are “Our Common Currents” at Katara QM Gallery and “Seething Sea” at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibitions and public art programme will launch in November, though no closing date is given.
Rubaiya Qatar has announced more than 120 artists for its inaugural edition, which will open in Doha on November 21.
Presented by Qatar Museums with ALRIWAQ Arts + Architecture, the quadrennial will include three exhibitions at three institutions and a public art component.
The lead exhibition, “Unruly Waters,” will feature around 54 artists and collectives, including 30 presenting new commissions.
“Seething Sea” at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art will show more than 80 works from the museum’s collections.
The programme foregrounds non-Western perspectives and explores connections between art, ecology, history and human movement.
- Who
- Rubaiya Qatar, presented by Qatar Museums in collaboration with ALRIWAQ Arts + Architecture, named more than 120 participating artists.
- What
- The quadrennial announced its artists for its inaugural edition, comprising three exhibitions and a public art component.
- When
- The announcement was published on October 16, 2026. The inaugural edition is due to open on November 21.
- Where
- Various venues across Doha, including ALRIWAQ Arts + Architecture, the Museum of Islamic Art and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
- Why
- The programme aims to present contemporary art from the region and beyond, foreground non-Western perspectives, and explore ecological and historical connections.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
ARTnews reported that Rubaiya Qatar had announced more than 120 artists for its inaugural edition.
The inaugural edition is scheduled to open at venues across Doha.
- Participating artists
- More than 120
- Opening date
- November 21
- Lead exhibition
- Unruly Waters
- Unruly Waters” participants
- Around 54 artists and collectives; 30 presenting new commissions
- Seething Sea” collection works
- More than 80
What people are saying
The inauguration of Rubaiya Qatar marks a defining moment in this change, with Doha as the stage on which contemporary art from our region and beyond is presented to the world.
The artists it presents trace trade winds, monsoon rhythms, ocean currents, and digital communication networks—from ancient sea routes to the World Wide Web—to redefine ‘globalism’ through ecology and human movement, understanding it as a product of nature as much as of commerce.
In Our Common Currents, the artists featured explore how interconnected we are with the natural world.