Qatar Museums Anniversary Season: 16 Exhibitions Across Doha

Qatar Museums (QM) marks its 20th anniversary with an ambitious fall season launching on 23 October 2025, featuring 16 exhibitions and events across its museums and cultural hubs. The programme is part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honouring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years and looking forward to the future of creativity and exchange.

Led by the Chairperson of Qatar Museums, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar Museums continues to position Qatar as a global hub for art, design, and culture, celebrating the leadership of the Father Amir and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Highlights of the Season

A Nation’s Legacy, A People’s Memory: National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ)

The museum reflects on its own five-decade journey, from its founding in 1975 inside the historic Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Palace to its transformation into Jean Nouvel’s architectural landmark.

Archival material and artefacts will trace how the museum has chronicled Qatar’s social, political, and cultural change.

I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture: Al Riwaq

A landmark retrospective of one of the 20th century’s greatest architects, organised in collaboration with M+. Featuring drawings, models, and rare archival items, the exhibition spans Pei’s global projects, from the Louvre Pyramid to Doha’s own Museum of Islamic Art.

Running in parallel, I. M. Pei and the Making of the Museum of Islamic Art at the MIA explores how Pei studied Islamic architectural traditions to create a building that has become a symbol of cultural exchange between Qatar and the world.

Mathaf at 15: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

Marking its anniversary with two major shows: Resolutions: Celebrating 15 Years of Mathaf, a reinstallation of its pioneering collection, and we refuse_d, a provocative group exhibition of 15 commissioned works tackling themes of refusal, resilience, and freedom of expression.

Fashion, Design & Jewellery: M7

M7 will host FTA: Threads of Impact, tracing the influence of Fashion Trust Arabia in shaping the Arab fashion landscape with over 80 designers.

Also on view will be Houbara Haven: A Chaumet Tiara, a presentation of an exquisite bespoke tiara commissioned by Alfardan Jewellery and Qatar Museums, and crafted by the Parisian High Jewellery Maison, following the success of the 2024 exhibition Chaumet & Nature; and Amazigh Hair Couture, exploring the profound significance of traditional Moroccan Amazigh hairstyles.

Sports, Youth & Global Culture: 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum

Two exhibitions turn the spotlight on contemporary cultural phenomena: Esports | A Game Changer charts the rise of competitive gaming and its global reach, while Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street tells the story of sneakers as athletic wear, fashion statement, and cult objects.

This is a touring exhibition from the Design Museum, London and explores the links between athletic shoe design and cultural history.  Some 500 objects will be on view, including 200 pairs of sneakers.

International Perspectives

Countryside: A Place to Live, Not Leave, a collaboration with AMO/OMA and Qatar Fund for Development, challenges urbanisation by highlighting the resilience of rural communities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

At QM Gallery at Katara, The Rooted Nomad: MF Husain—originally shown at the Venice Biennale—immerses audiences in the life and art of India’s modernist master, reimagined for Doha in partnership with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.

Public Art & Immersive Installations

Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive installation untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes) at MIA Park transforms bread ovens into spaces of community and dialogue. Also at MIA Park, Rock on Top of Another Rock by Fischli & Weiss introduces two monumental granite boulders in precarious balance, extending Qatar’s public art landscape.

Evolution Nation

Presented by Qatar Creates, Evolution Nation connects Qatar’s cultural milestones with its aspirations for the future. Alongside these exhibitions, new membership programmes and public art initiatives deepen engagement with the nation’s evolving cultural narrative.

This fall, Qatar Museums is not only looking back at five decades of growth, but also reaffirming its role in shaping cultural conversations globally, uniting heritage, creativity, and innovation in a year of landmark exhibitions.