Rirkrit Tiravanija’s first artwork in Qatar opens as part of the pre-launch programming of Rubaiya Qatar, an international visual arts quadrennial
QM announces the curatorial vision for the first edition of Rubaiya Qatar, opening in 2026
Qatar Museums (QM) announced the unveiling of untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes), a major new public art installation by international artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, on view at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park from 30 October 2025 to 30 January 2026.
Presented under the umbrella of Rubaiya Qatar, an upcoming multidisciplinary quadrennial, the project marks the soft launch of the initiative ahead of its inaugural edition in November 2026. Through Tiravanija’s participatory pavilion, visitors are invited to share bread, conversation, and community, embodying the inclusive and collaborative spirit at the core of Rubaiya Qatar.
A Pavilion for Shared Community
Tiravanija’s untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes) transforms a corner of MIA Park into a living installation where art, food, and social connection converge. The design of the octagonal pavilion is inspired by local heritage and Islamic geometry and invites visitors to gather and share freshly baked bread.
Reflecting Qatar’s cultural diversity, the pavilion features four traditional ovens and griddles commonly found in Qatar, South Asia, and West Asia. Each Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, local bakers from different communities will activate the space by baking and serving bread, turning the site into a weekly gathering that celebrates shared labour, hospitality, and cultural dialogue.
This installation builds on Tiravanija’s long-standing exploration of art as social experience. It extends his practice of creating spaces where everyday acts such as cooking and eating become gestures of connection and collective reflection.
Introducing Rubaiya Qatar
Rubaiya Qatar is a nationwide multidisciplinary quadrennial developed under ALRIWAQ, a contemporary art and architecture institution dedicated to research, exhibitions, and public art. Under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, ALRIWAQ is headed by Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Deputy CEO of Exhibitions, Public Art, and Rubaiya Qatar, with Sheikha Alanood Al Thani serving as Director of Rubaiya Qatar.
With its dynamic programme of artists and commissions, exhibitions, public art projects, publications, residencies, and community development initiatives, Rubaiya Qatar aims to inspire and empower new generations of artists and thinkers in Qatar and around the world.
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said, “As Qatar celebrates 50 years of creativity and culture, we are proud to present Rirkrit Tiravanija’s participatory pavilion as the first activation of Rubaiya Qatar. This project embodies our commitment to community, dialogue, and creativity as foundations of cultural exchange. Rubaiya Qatar will further extend Qatar Museums’ mission to connect the nation’s heritage with global contemporary practice and strengthen Qatar’s role as a vibrant hub for art and ideas.”
Sheikha Reem Al Thani added, “Rirkrit Tiravanija’s untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes) embodies Rubaiya’s spirit of inclusion and collaboration. By inviting people to bake and share bread, the project transforms a simple act into a symbol of community and dialogue. It marks the beginning of Rubaiya Qatar’s journey toward its first edition in 2026, which will continue to foster creative exchange and reflect Qatar’s diverse and dynamic cultural landscape.”
In conjunction with the unveiling of untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes), H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa announced the curatorial team that is organising Rubaiya Qatar.
Under the leadership of Sheikha Alanood Al Thani, inaugural edition of Rubaiya Qatar’s (November 2026 – Spring 2027) will take place at a series of sites throughout Qatar, including ALRIWAQ, which recently has been renovated by OMA. The headline exhibition for the inaugural edition, Unruly Waters, is curated by Tom Eccles (Executive Director, Center for Curatorial Studies and the Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College), Ruba Katrib (Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, MoMA PS1), Mark Rappolt (Editor-in-Chief of ArtReview and ArtReview Asia), and Shabbir Hussain Mustafa (Chief Curator, Singapore Art Museum). The exhibition title is derived from the work of historian Sunil Amrith, whose research explores how water shapes people and, in turn, how people shape water. The exhibition is founded on issues of global ecology and explores artistic interpretations of how the movement of people and ecosystems has informed every aspect of the world in which we live today.
Sheikha Alanood Al Thani said, “Through our programmes, commissions, and exhibitions, we aim to foster meaningful dialogue, nurture creativity, and reflect the dynamic culture that makes Qatar a unique destination for art and community engagement.”
Tom Eccles, a Lead Curator of Rubaiya Qatar, commented, “By speaking to specific geographies, and taking global weather systems and their effects on local environments as its guide, Unruly Waters traces an understanding of globalism as a product of nature as much as commerce. Grounded in Qatar, the exhibition highlights the diversity of the local population and highlights the nation as a site of past, present, and future global connections.”
Further exhibitions, public art projects, and public programmes associated with Rubaiya Qatar including exhibitions curated by Wadha Al Aqeedi (Curator, Qatar Museums), Lina Patmali (Acting Head of Curatorial Affairs Section, Rubaiya Qatar), and others will be announced in Spring 2026.
Programme Schedule
The installation of untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes) will open with a live performance by Rirkrit Tiravanija on 30 October 2025, coinciding with Qatar Creates, presented under the umbrella of Evolution Nation — an 18-month campaign celebrating 50 years of culture in Qatar. From 7 November 2025 through 30 January 2026, local bakers and chefs, including Chef Noof Al Marri, will be activating the pavilion.
The work builds on Tiravanija’s earlier food-making performances, including his 2021 BIENALSUR project in Argentina, where ovens were installed across San Juan for public use, inspired by a 1972 performance in Buenos Aires by Argentine artist Victor Grippo. In honour of Grippo, the installation in MIA Park is presented in conjunction with the Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture.
Evolution Nation honours Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar, and 20 years since the founding of Qatar Museums. Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation’s cultural milestones and its aspirations.
About Qatar Museums
Now marking its 20th anniversary, Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves, restores, and expands the nation’s cultural offerings and historical sites, sharing art and culture from Qatar, Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in West Asia and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, educate and encourage environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, QM Gallery ALRIWAQ, QM Gallery Katara and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum. Future museums include Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, Qatar Auto Museum, Art Mill Museum and the Lusail Museum.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival and the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design M7, Liwan Design Studios and Labs, and Design Doha Biennale—that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention.
About Rubaiya Qatar
A major new project under Qatar Museums, Rubaiya Qatar is an international contemporary art quadrennial set to open in November 2026 as a multisite event across Qatar. Rubaiya Qatar is being developed under the auspices of ALRIWAQ and Qatar Museums and serves as a platform for diverse discourse and public engagement. With a dynamic programme of exhibitions, public art projects, publications, artist residencies, and community development initiatives, Rubaiya Qatar will highlight Qatar as a global centre for art, culture and creativity. Sheikha Alanood Al Thani is the director of Rubaiya Qatar.
About ALRIWAQ
ALRIWAQ, opened in 2010 adjacent to the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, and covering a total area of 5000 square metres, the gallery showcases world-class, large-scale exhibitions organized by QM. Working with international and regional artists, ALRIWAQ has grown and is now dedicated to research, programming, exhibitions in the field of arts and architecture and drives QM’s public art. As part of ALRIWAQ’s mission, Rubaiya Qatar serves as a visual arts quadrennial. ALRIWAQ’s inaugural exhibitions included Told/Untold/Retold and Interventions, followed by Murakami-Ego in February 2012 and Mal Lawal in September 2012. Other major exhibitions showcased at the gallery include Dan Flavin/Donald Judd: Doha (2023); Lusail Museum: Tales of a Connected World (2022); Jeff Koons: Lost in America (2021); Driven by German Design (2017); What About the Art: Contemporary Art from China (2016); I am the cry; who will give voice to me? Dia al-Azzawi: A Retrospective (from 1963 until tomorrow) (2016); Here There, Qatar Brazil (2014); Intolerance: Luc Tuymans (2015); Relics: Damien Hirst (2013); and The Art of Travel: Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614)” (2012).
