Art Basel has appointed Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director of the 2027 edition of Art Basel Qatar, the fair announced on Wednesday.
Al-Khudhairi will lead the curatorial direction of the fair’s second edition, working alongside Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s chief artistic officer and global director of fairs. Al-Khudhairi succeeds Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, who led the artistic vision for the fair’s inaugural edition, which debuted this past February. That edition featured some 87 galleries and was composed entirely of solo artist presentations under the theme “Becoming.”
Art Basel Qatar’s 2027 edition will take place from January 28th to 30th, with preview days on January 26th and 27th. Along with the appointment, the fair announced that its 2027 curatorial theme will be “between / بين” and will explore experiences of exchange, fluidity, and open-ended dialogue rather than fixed definitions.
Al-Khudhairi has deep ties to the region and previously served as the founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, where she oversaw the institution’s opening in 2010. During her tenure, she organized exhibitions including “Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art” and “Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab.” Al-Khudhairi was also a member of the curatorial team for the 2025 Hawaii Triennial and served as the co-curator of the 6th Asian Art Biennial in Taiwan as well as the co-artistic director of the 9th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea.
In a statement, de Bellis said Al-Khudhairi’s regional expertise, coupled with her global networks, made her “exceptionally well” positioned to lead the fair into the next phase. “Her curatorial ambition is matched by a deep understanding of how art ecosystems develop — how institutions are built, how markets are nurtured, and how education and public engagement create the conditions for long-term growth,” he said.
Al-Khudhairi described Art Basel Qatar as “an exciting new model for what a curated fair can be.” The 2027 theme, she added, stemmed from “a curiosity about what becomes possible when a space is allowed to stay open.”
The second edition of Art Basel Qatar will continue the curated format introduced at the inaugural fair and will again take place across Doha Design District and M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha. It will also expand its Special Projects sector with larger-scale immersive presentations, with details to be announced soon.
