VCUarts Qatar at Design Doha Biennial 2026

VCUarts Qatar will present its Tasmeem Doha speaker series and exhibitions by The Gallery and the Institute for Creative Research (ICR) at the Design Doha Biennial 2026.

The partnership connects the University’s education and research community with a regional forum for design, advancing design discourse, creative practice and cultural exchange in Qatar and the wider region. The events will showcase work by VCUarts Qatar faculty, students, alumni and research labs alongside conversations with designers and artists from the region and beyond.

Partnership Events

Tasmeem Doha Speaker Series

Coinciding with the opening of Design Doha Biennial 2026, Tasmeem Doha will host a two-day speaker series on the VCUarts Qatar campus in Education City. Established in 2004, Tasmeem Doha is the University’s signature art and design biennial.

Nov. 5, 2026
10 a.m.-2 p.m. | VCUarts Qatar Atrium

Nov. 7, 2026
2–8 p.m. | VCUarts Qatar Atrium

Matter Diplopia

Presented by The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar

Nov. 5, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027 | Fereej Al Asmakh

Following its debut at the 2025 London Design Biennale, Matter Diplopia comes to Doha in an adapted version featuring five projects from the original exhibition. Through these projects, VCUarts Qatar faculty, students and alumni explore how place, materials and culture shape one another, combining traditional making practices with emerging technologies.

Beyond the Letters

Presented by TypeAraby, a research lab within VCUarts Qatar’s Institute for Creative Research

Nov. 5–Dec. 31, 2026 | MIHAD Gallery, Doha Design District

Curated by Basma Hamdy, Professor of Graphic Design at VCUarts Qatar and Principal Investigator of TypeAraby, and Ali Asali, a multidisciplinary designer, visual artist, and founder of StudioMetaphor, this exhibition explores Arabic and Persian typography through the histories, places, and practices that shape written forms.

VCUarts Qatar Community Engagement

Light & Process

Presented by MODEEN, with participation of Maysaa Almumin, Associate Professor, Art Foundation

Nov. 5, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027 | Fareej Al Asmakh

Light & Process traces the development of lighting designs from early ideas and prototypes to finished pieces.

Third Culture Ceremony

A project by MODEEN within Arab Design Now, with research developed in collaboration with AlBokeh, a research lab within VCUarts Qatar’s Institute for Creative Research

Nov. 5, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027 | Fareej Al Asmakh

This partnership with Design Doha Biennial was made possible through VCUarts Qatar’s strategic engagement.

Find more information on our other partnerships and partnership opportunities below.

The Design Doha Biennial 2026 will feature an extensive programme of exhibitions showcasing the work of more than 100 multidisciplinary designers and studios from across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region (MENASA) and its diasporas.

Design Doha Biennial 2026 brings designers into conversation with audiences, production networks and international design experts, creating new opportunities for collaboration and professional exchange. It is part of Evolution Nation, a campaign honoring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar.

Curated by Qatar Creates, the national initiative positions Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity.