Doha – The first-ever edition of Art Basel Qatar opened its doors with an exhibition-style art fair this week, first for VIPs and then the general public, along with a series of talks by eminent voices spread across upscale Msheireb in the Qatari capital, Doha.This is the fifth event in Art Basel’s calendar after the original Swiss edition, which has also hosted prestigious fairs in artistic epicentres Paris, Hong Kong and Miami, and is historic as the inaugural Art Basel event in the Middle East.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listM7 Msheireb Cultural Forum staged Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Shirin Neshat and other well-known artists – while the fair extended over multiple other galleries, crossing the opulent, yet understated courtyard with an interactive installation by South African Sumayya Vally, leading to Doha’s Design District. The Pablo Picasso exhibit at Art Basel Qatar [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]Aisha Ahmad, a 25-year-old Qatari artist, was taking her time in front of each art display to absorb the works in front of her.She said it is hard for her to believe that she can see these artists in her own country.“If you want to observe art like that, you would have to travel abroad. It’s exciting for the locals and amazing to see people from different countries, people travelling all the way to come to this country,” said Ahmad. Sumayya Vally’s plywood and cement eight-channel sound installation at a Msheireb courtyard at Art Basel Qatar [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]Artistic director Wael Shawky designed the exhibit with a bal …
