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Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation partner university, will host its international art and design biennial, Tasmeem Doha 2026, from November 1–7, 2026, at its Education City campus. The week-long event will include workshops and knowledge circles, an exhibition, and a speaker series, included as an official collateral event of the Design Doha Biennial (DDB) 2026. Centered around the theme حَوِّل (hawwil) or “transmit,” creative practitioners and scholars will come together through making and critical discourse to explore the value of inherited and shared knowledge in contemporary art.
“This edition draws on the Islamic principle of knowledge as a trust (amānah) meant to benefit all, reframing knowledge gained within creative practices as a shared responsibility rather than individual expression,” said the curatorial team, Sara Al-Afifi, (BFA, 2019; MFA, 2024), Hind Al Saad (BFA, 2019, MFA 2024) and Reham Mohamed (BFA,2019), in a joint statement.
“We shaped the curation of this edition of Tasmeem to echo the polymaths of the Islamic world—where the range of practices cover translation, design, architecture, anthropology, archiving, and more. By bringing together regional and international voices, we aim to create dialogue that is rooted in lived histories, contemporary inquiries, and collective responsibility.”
The program kicks off with six workshops from November 1–November 4, 2026, followed by a knowledge circle (halaqa). The workshops give participants hands-on experience in pattern design and archives, printmaking and digital tools, alongside experimental approaches to materials and making. Air Made Visible, What if We Could Dream Differently, A Treasury of Trust, TouchDesign for Riso, Mobile Making: Symbols in Time, and Transmit Lines are just some of the workshops open to the public. On November 4, after the workshops end, participants will be invited to join a knowledge circle to collectively reflect upon and share their experiences. These halaqas are also open to the public, bringing Tasmeem Doha 2026’s theme of transmitting knowledge to life.
The accompanying exhibition, Secrecy Is Immoral, will be on view from October 27 to December 3, 2026, with an opening reception on November 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar. The exhibition, featuring a collective of creators, explores knowledge as a living, evolving process through works that question historical narratives and power structures, preserve cultural memory and experiment with ways of sharing knowledge. It affirms that the value of knowledge lies not in its control, but in its circulation.
“The diversity of disciplines adds depth to the curation of the lineup,” the co-curators explained. “Rather than grouping participants by medium or technique, we connect them through a shared conceptual framework; linking their practices through ethos, motivations, and the questions they engage with. When different perspectives are encountered within the same space, new interpretations naturally emerge.”
Tasmeem Doha 2026 culminates on November 5 and November 7 during its speaker series, which coincide with the opening of the Design Doha Biennial 2026 and is part of a broader partnership between VCUarts Qatar and DDB.
Hosted at the VCUarts Qatar Atrium the first day will explore creative inheritance, archives and the relationship between tradition and innovation through three talks and a panel discussion moderated by Al-Shaima Ayoub, Visual and Material Culture Researcher at Qatar Museums. Under the theme “Intergenerational Knowledge,” the session will feature Elham AlDawsari, Saudi conceptual artist and writer; Ali Van Godil, the award-winning creative director and founder of House of Gul; and, architect Yasaman Esmaili, founder of the architectural design office, Studio Chahar.
AlDawsari combines personal storytelling with archival practice, including researching and recording the lives of middle-and lower-income women in Riyadh before the internet. Meanwhile, Van Godil works across art, design, and film, connecting ethics and aesthetics. Esmaili combines traditional methods and new technologies through participatory architectural design, focusing on local communities and environmental stewardship.
The second day brings together practices that rethink how knowledge is gathered, connected, and reinterpreted. From shared forms of knowledge through writing practices, to accessible anthropology, and cross-cultural work that blends research with humor, each expands how we access, share, and engage with knowledge.
Under the theme “Reframing Knowledge,” lectures will feature American writer and educator Kameelah Janan Rasheed; the founder of Anthropology Bel3araby Lab, Farah Hallaba; and a closing keynote by the art collective Slavs and Tatars, whose work explores language, politics and identity across Eurasia.
The session will also include a panel moderated by Ayoub Rasheed studies reading, writing, and black knowledge production, while Anthropology Bel3araby aims to make anthropological knowledge accessible in Arabic through publications, workshops, and programs. The renowned art collective, Slavs & Tatars, examines language, politics, and identity across Eurasia, bringing scholarly research into conversation with humor and vernacular traditions.
The speaker series will conclude with a performance by Ramallah-based electronic musician Muqata’a, who uses samples and field recordings in his compositions, and Bethlehem-based filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist Fairouz Hasan, whose work explores memory and political absence.
Launched in 2004, Tasmeem Doha is a flagship initiative by VCUarts Qatar. Each edition highlights a contemporary art and design theme through panel discussions and experimental concepts, methods, and applications.
For more details on the full program and to register, visit: tasmeem.qatar.vcu.edu