Alia Farid
Doha, Qatar: The National Pavilion of Qatar has revealed details of its presentation for the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, running from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
Commissioned by Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the project is titled “Untitled 2026 (A Gathering of Remarkable People)”.
It centres on the participatory practice of Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija and brings together a diverse group of collaborators: Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria, Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui, Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid, and Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan.
Tiravanija has conceived a temporary tent-like structure inspired by traditional Qatari gathering spaces and broader Arab cultural traditions. This architectural setting serves as a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, dialogue, and shared experiences in the Giardini della Biennale, on the site of the future permanent Qatar Pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh. Produced by Qatar Museums and presented by Rubaiya Qatar (Qatar’s contemporary art quadrennial), the exhibition is co-curated by Tom Eccles, Executive Director of the Centre for Curatorial Studies and the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College, and Ruba Katrib, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at MoMA PS1.
The pavilion builds on Tiravanija’s long-standing emphasis on social interaction, where art becomes a platform for people to connect, create, and nourish both body and spirit. Inside the structure, visitors will encounter a rich program of activations. Sophia Al-Maria presents an experimental narrative film featuring a protagonist on a dream-like journey exploring the transformative power of music and sound. Alia Farid contributes Jerrican (2022–2026), a large-scale sculpture from her series of oversized vessels reminiscent of traditional Gulf water containers. These hollow, lightweight forms, fabricated in lacquered fiberglass using techniques similar to those for public drinking fountains, evoke everyday heritage while playing with scale and materiality.
Tarek Atoui organises improvisational collaborations with musicians and poets, drawing on field recordings, archival sources, and sonic elements from across the Arab world. Complementing these, Fadi Kattan curates a culinary program showcasing chefs from the MENA region. Their menus often focus on a single ingredient, highlighting preservation alongside innovation and tracing the influences of migration and trade on regional cuisines.
Sheikha Al Mayassa emphasized the project’s deeper significance, “On the global stage of the Venice Biennale, this exhibition demonstrates Qatar’s unwavering belief in the power of culture to bring people together and to create space for reflection, connection, and affirmation of our shared humanity. Qatar is proud to provide a platform for the creative talent of our nation and the Arab world.”
