Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) will host its biennial international art and design event, Tasmeem Doha 2026, from November 1 to 7 at its Education City campus. The week-long program, held as an official collateral event of the Design Doha Biennial (DDB) 2026, will feature workshops, exhibitions, and a speaker series aimed at exploring the transmission and shared value of knowledge in contemporary art.
Under the theme "hawwil," meaning “transmit,” the event seeks to engage creative practitioners and scholars in dialogue and practice around inherited and collective knowledge. The curatorial team—Sara al-Afifi, Hind al-Saad, and Reham Mohamed, all VCUarts Qatar alumnae—note that this edition draws from the Islamic principle of knowledge as a trust (amanah), emphasizing knowledge as a shared responsibility rather than merely individual expression.
Tasmeem Doha 2026 begins with six workshops from November 1 to 4, offering participants hands-on experience in pattern design, archives, printmaking, digital tools, and experimental material practices. Following the workshops, a public knowledge circle, or halaqa, will convene on November 4 to facilitate reflection and exchange on participants’ experiences. This format aims to activate the event’s central theme by fostering communal knowledge sharing.
An accompanying exhibition titled *Secrecy Is Immoral* will be displayed from October 27 through December 3 at The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar. The show, which opens with a reception on November 4, features a collective of artists whose works interrogate historical narratives, power structures, and cultural memory. The exhibition underscores the evolving nature of knowledge, highlighting its value in circulation rather than control.
The biennial’s closing events include a two-day speaker series on November 5 and 7 at the VCUarts Qatar Atrium, designed to complement the opening of the Design Doha Biennial 2026. The first day centers on “Intergenerational Knowledge” and examines creative inheritance, archives, and the interplay between tradition and innovation. Speakers include Saudi conceptual artist Elham AlDawsari; Saudi creative director Ali Van Godil, founder of House of Gul; and architect Yasaman Esmaili, founder of Studio Chahar. Their practices collectively address themes such as archival storytelling, ethics in design, and participatory architecture.
The series’ second day, themed “Reframing Knowledge,” broadens the discussion to consider alternative methods of gathering, connecting, and interpreting knowledge. Featured presenters include American writer and educator Kameelah Janan Rasheed; Farah Hallaba, founder of Anthropology Bel3araby Lab, which promotes accessible anthropological knowledge in Arabic; and the art collective Slavs and Tatars, noted for their interdisciplinary work exploring language, politics, and identity across Eurasia. A panel moderated by Al-Shiama Ayoub, a visual culture researcher at Qatar Museums, accompanies the talks.
Tasmeem Doha 2026 will conclude with a performance by Ramallah-based electronic musician Muqata’a, known for incorporating samples and field recordings, alongside filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist Fairouz Hasan from Bethlehem, whose work addresses themes of memory and political absence.