Fire Station in Doha will host the inaugural exhibition of its Artists Intensive Study Programme (AISP), curated by Artistic Director Wael Shawky. The exhibition will be on view from November 8, 2026, to February 6, 2027, showcasing new works developed by 22 artists from Qatar and 14 other countries. These projects emerged from nine months of research, critical engagement, and artistic exploration through the programme.

Spread across Fire Station’s five galleries and the Plaza, the exhibition presents a diverse range of media and interdisciplinary practices that engage with cultural, social, historical, and material themes. The participating artists examine topics such as migration, memory, belonging, cultural heritage, public space, and human-environment relationships through sculpture, moving images, sound, immersive installations, painting, and mixed-media works.

Wael Shawky highlighted the programme’s goals as nurturing emerging talent and fostering international artistic exchange. He emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative, which connects emerging artists from different backgrounds with established practitioners to encourage critical dialogue and the expansion of contemporary intellectual discourse.

Central to AISP is the studio environment, designed to be a dynamic space where artistic ideas develop through ongoing experimentation and critical reflection. The works presented represent a broad spectrum of investigations that reveal how artists evolve their practices through creative exchange and discovery.

The exhibition includes contributions from artists such as Hissa Alkuwari, Noora Al Hardan, and Hamad Alfayhani from Qatar; Jude Samman and Akka Hamdan from Jordan; Farah El-Shawarby and Dalila Hassanain from Egypt; as well as artists from Pakistan, France, the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, Nepal, Libya, and the United Kingdom.

Throughout the nine-month programme, an international team of mentors supported the artists by offering new perspectives, encouraging experimentation, and facilitating the refinement of their practices. AISP represents an evolution from Fire Station’s previous Artist in Residence (AIR) Programme, introducing a model focused more intensively on research, critical thinking, and professional development.

This exhibition is part of Qatar Creates’ Fall/Winter 2026/2027 season, which includes numerous exhibitions, public art projects, and cultural initiatives aimed at promoting global artistic dialogue. The season features openings scheduled from September through November, reflecting Qatar’s ongoing commitment to fostering cultural exchange.