Art Basel in Qatar 2026, February 6

Conversations | Art in the open: Rethinking what a public can be

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Sumayya Vally,&nbsp;architect, Johannesburg&nbsp; Rayyane Tabet, artist, Beirut&nbsp; Shezad Dawood, artist, London Moderator: Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Deputy CEO,&nbsp;Al&nbsp;Riwaq, Public&nbsp;Art, and&nbsp;Rubaiya&nbsp;Qatar,&nbsp;Qatar Museums,&nbsp;Doha&nbsp; This panel explored how artists redefine public space and audiences, creating, contesting, and expanding the idea of a&nbsp;‘public.’&nbsp;From participatory projects and site-specific interventions to immersive installations, the discussion focused on how art can generate dialogue, connect communities, and expose social, cultural, or political gaps. Sumayya Vally&nbsp;is the principal of Counterspace, an architecture and research practice exploring hybrid identities and spatial relationships, with a particular interest in the complex relationships between territories and places. A&nbsp;World Economic Forum&nbsp;Young Global Leader and TIME100&nbsp;honoree,&nbsp;she is the youngest architect commissioned to design the Serpentine Pavilion in London. Vally is&nbsp;an honorary&nbsp;professor of&nbsp;practice at&nbsp;the Bartlett School of Architecture, and an&nbsp;honorary&nbsp;fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.&nbsp; &nbsp; Drawing from experience and self-directed research,&nbsp;Rayyane Tabet&nbsp;explores stories that offer an alternative understanding of major sociopolitical events through individual narratives. Informed by his training in architecture and sculpture, his work investigates paradoxes in the built environment and its history by way of installations, interventions, and performances that reconstitute the&nbsp;perception&nbsp;of physical and temporal distance.&nbsp; &nbsp; Shezad Dawood&nbsp;is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice connects art, science, and environmental advocacy, spanning painting, textiles, sculpture, film,&nbsp;and digital media.&nbsp;Fascinated by ecologies and architecture, his work takes a philosophical approach, asking questions and exploring alternative futures through what Dawood describes as ‘world-building.’&nbsp;His practice is animated by research, working with multiple audiences and communities to delve into narrative, history,&nbsp;and&nbsp;embodiment.&nbsp; &nbsp; Sheikha Reem Al-Thani&nbsp;oversees Qatar’s leading arts and architecture exhibition platform and the&nbsp;Rubaiya&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;quadrennial, and&nbsp;has played a key role in shaping the country’s public art vision through large-scale, site-specific commissions and international collaborations. With over&nbsp;15&nbsp;years of experience, she has led more than 100 major exhibitions&nbsp;and&nbsp;is an adjunct professor at&nbsp;VCUarts&nbsp;Qatar. Art Basel Conversations x Qatar Creates Talks

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