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Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation partner university, welcomed more than 200 guests to the opening of Pulse of Place: Selected Works from the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection on February 1, 2026, at The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar.
Presented as a preview to the inaugural Art Basel Qatar (February 5–7 at Doha Design District, Msheireb), the exhibition brought together artists, international visitors, cultural leaders, and dignitaries for an evening celebrating Qatar’s evolving contemporary art landscape.
Presented as a preview to the inaugural Art Basel Qatar (February 5–7 at Doha Design District, Msheireb), the exhibition brought together artists, international visitors, cultural leaders, and dignitaries for an evening celebrating Qatar’s evolving contemporary art landscape.
Pulse of Place features works by 11 artists and designers—each a VCUarts Qatar alum and represented in the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection. The exhibition reflects the dynamic trajectory of Qatari art, from heritage-based traditions to globally engaged contemporary practices, while highlighting the lasting impact of VCUarts Qatar graduates on the nation’s cultural narrative.
On view through March 7, 2026, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to experience firsthand the artistic voices shaping Qatar’s visual culture today.
“This exhibition captures the depth and ambition of Qatar’s contemporary artistic voice,” said Amir Berbić, Dean of VCUarts Qatar. “We are especially proud to see the work of our alumni represented so prominently, underscoring the role of education, patronage, and creative research in shaping the country’s cultural landscape.”
“With Pulse of Place, the gallery becomes a space where these narratives unfold physically and experientially,” said Chase Westfall, Head of Gallery at VCUarts Qatar. “We look forward to welcoming visitors to explore the exhibition and engage with the work of our talented alumni.”
The exhibition opening coincided with the official launch of Contemporary Art from Qatar: The Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection (Skira Arte, 2026), a publication documenting three decades of collecting by H.E. Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani. Together, the book and exhibition offered complementary perspectives—one scholarly and archival, the other spatial and experiential—on the development of Qatar’s contemporary art movement.
For more information, visit qatar.vcu.edu.