Wassan Al-Khudhairi Appointed Artistic Director of Art Basel Qatar 2027

Wassan Al-Khudhairi has been appointed Artistic Director of the 2027 edition of Art Basel Qatar 2027, taking over from Wael Shawky, who helped shape the curatorial vision for the fair’s inaugural edition.

Presented in partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, the second edition of Art Basel Qatar will take place from 28–30 January 2027, with preview days on 26 and 27 January. Al-Khudhairi will work closely with Vincenzo de Bellis to develop the artistic and curatorial direction of the fair and oversee the gallery selection process alongside the Selection Committee.

An Iraqi curator with longstanding ties to the MENASA region, Al-Khudhairi previously served as the founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, where she oversaw the museum’s opening in 2010 and curated landmark exhibitions including Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art and Cai Guo-Qiang’s Saraab.

Art Basel also announced the curatorial theme for the 2027 edition: between / بين. According to the organisers, the theme explores “the condition of being ‘between’ as a generative space,” focusing on exchange, relation, and fluidity rather than fixed definitions.

The fair will continue the curated format introduced in its inaugural edition, with galleries presenting focused solo projects responding directly to the curatorial framework. The event will once again take place across Doha Design District and M7 in Doha, while the Special Projects sector is set to expand significantly for 2027.

In a statement, de Bellis said that Al-Khudhairi’s “longstanding engagement with artists, institutions, and audiences across MENASA and beyond positions her exceptionally well to shape the next chapter of the fair.” He also highlighted her “deep understanding of how art ecosystems develop.”

Al-Khudhairi described the appointment as “an honor,” noting Qatar’s significant role in shaping her curatorial practice and career. She added that Art Basel Qatar offers “an exciting new model for what a curated fair can be — one where a rigorous curatorial vision and a thriving art market are not in tension but mutually reinforcing.”

Currently a partner at The Curatorial / Office, Al-Khudhairi has held a number of major international curatorial roles, including co-curator of the 6th Asian Art Biennial in Taiwan and co-artistic director of the 9th Gwangju Biennial in South Korea. She also previously served as Ferring Foundation Chief Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and as Hugh Kaul Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Al-Khudhairi holds an MA in Islamic Art and Architecture from SOAS University of London and is a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute and a fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership program.

Photo by Jim Lafferty. Courtesy of Wassan Al-Khudhairi