Conclusion of Tasmeem Doha 2026 Biennial: Transmit

Doha, Qatar—Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) successfully hosted its international art and design biennial, Tasmeem Doha 2026, at its Education City campus. The program convened creative practitioners and scholars through an exhibition and a speaker series, the latter of which was included as an official collateral event of the Design Doha Biennial (DDB) 2026.

Centered on the theme (hawwil) or “transmit,” the biennial explored the value of inherited and shared knowledge in contemporary art. Drawing on the Islamic principle of knowledge as a trust (amānah) meant to benefit all, the edition reframed knowledge gained within creative practices as a collective responsibility rather than individual expression.

“We shaped the curation of this edition of Tasmeem to echo the polymaths of the Islamic world—where the range of practices covers translation, design, architecture, anthropology, archiving, and more,” stated the curatorial team, Sara Al-Afifi, Hind Al Saad, and Reham Mohamed, VCUarts Qatar alumni. They added: “By bringing together regional and international voices, we aim to create dialogue that is rooted in lived histories, contemporary inquiries, and collective responsibility.”

Exhibition: Secrecy Is Immoral
On view at The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar until December 3, 20206, the accompanying exhibition, Secrecy Is Immoral, brings together a collective of creators exploring knowledge as a living process. Through works questioning historical narratives, power structures, and cultural memory, the exhibition affirms that the value of knowledge lies in its active circulation rather than its control.

Speaker series & performances
Coinciding with the opening of the Design Doha Biennial 2026, the speaker series brought together interdisciplinary voices across two thematic tracks:

Intergenerational knowledge: Explored creative inheritance, archives, and tradition. Moderated by Al-Shaima Ayoub (Qatar Museums), speakers included Saudi conceptual artist Elham AlDawsari, creative director Ali Van Godil (House of Gul), and architect Yasaman Esmaili (Studio Chahar).

Reframing knowledge: Re-examined methods of gathering, connecting, and reinterpreting information. Presentations featured writer and educator Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Farah Hallaba (founder of Anthropology Bel3araby Lab), and a closing keynote by the art collective Slavs and Tatars.

The biennial concluded with performances by Ramallah-based electronic musician Muqata’a and Bethlehem-based interdisciplinary artist Fairouz Hasan.

Launched in 2004, Tasmeem Doha remains a flagship initiative by VCUarts Qatar, advancing contemporary art and design discourse through experimental methodologies and cross-cultural dialogue.

For full program documentation, visit Tasmeem Doha 2026.