Leading names in art, fashion and culture gather in Doha this October

Qatar Creates initiative, part of Qatar Museums, has announced the organization of six dialogue sessions as part of the "Qatar Creates" series, during the period from October 24 to 27, at the National Museum of Qatar Lecture Hall, as part of the activities of the Fall/Winter 2026/2027 season.

The programme brings together a group of prominent figures in the fields of art, design, architecture and cultural leadership, including Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums, and Her Excellency Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation.

Qatar Creates Dialogues provides audiences with the opportunity to meet directly with creatives in the cultural sector, and explore the ideas, influences and questions that are shaping contemporary art, design and culture practices.

The program kicks off next Saturday, with a session titled "What Makes an Icon?" , explores how artworks, buildings, objects and designs become icons, with the participation of Amir Berbeck, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts in Qatar, Sumaya Valli, Professor Emeritus of Practice at University College London and CEO of Counterspace in Johannesburg, and Mohammed Benchelal, Fashion Designer, and moderated by Dr. Yelena Trocoglia, Editorial Director of Qatar Talks and Senior Advisor for Academic and Cultural Affairs at Qatar Museums.

On the second day, the program will move on to the themes of acquisition and fashion, where a session will be dedicated to the theme "The Visionary Collector: Sheikh Hassan Al Thani and the Formation of the Modern Art Scene in Qatar", with the participation of His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani, President of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. The session recounts his first meetings with Arab modernist artists, his journey in acquiring artworks, and the circumstances that led to the establishment of the museum.

On the same day, a session titled "Erdem: Fashion Dresses the Imagination" will feature British-Turkish designer Erdem Muralioglu, founder and creative director of Erdem, and interviewed by Maha Ghanem Al-Sulaiti, Director of M7, who will explore Erdem's artistic vision, the role of storytelling in the world of fashion, and the creative process behind Erdem: The Same Time, a massive retrospective exhibition that opens at M7 on 27 October, featuring more than 150 pieces including costumes, raw drawings and materials from the design operator.

The third day's sessions on Monday, October 26, will move on to the cultural production, and then to the features of the urban transformation in Doha, through two sessions, the first of which will be held under the title "Behind the Scenes of Exhibitions", in which Her Excellency Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Deputy CEO of Qatar Museums, Sheikha Al Jazi Al Thani, Head of International Exhibitions Design and Implementation, Hans Ulrich Obrest, Artistic Director of Serpentine Exhibitions, and Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, Recipient of the Order of the British Empire with the rank of Officer and Director of the British Museum, will participate About the planning, cooperation and production stages required for the organization of major international exhibitions.

The second session, titled "Doha: Making the Urban Landscape", discusses the city's architectural development, from its pre-oil neighborhoods to its contemporary landmarks. Architect Ibrahim Al-Jaida, Group CEO and Chief Architect of the Arab Bureau for Engineering Affairs, and Dr. Sultana Al-Nabit, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at Qatar University, will participate in the event.

The program will conclude on Tuesday, October 27, with a keynote session titled "Leading Cultural Institutions in Times of Crisis", with speeches by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and Her Excellency Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, moderated by Adrienne Ellis, Director of AEA Consulting and President of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

The session will focus on the challenges facing cultural institutions today, from maintaining public trust and safeguarding the values and mission of institutions to dealing with changes in social and economic expectations.

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