rikrit tiravanija designs qatar pavilion for gatherings, performances and rituals in venice

designed by rirkrit tiravanija, the temporary gathering space in the giardini brings together sound, food, film, and collective participation from across the arab world.

thomai tsimpou May 12, 2026 5 min

mashrabiya structure becomes qatar’s meeting point in venice

At the future site of the permanent Qatar Pavilion in the Giardini, the country’s national participation at Venice Art Biennale 2026, named ‘untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people)’, transforms the pavilion grounds into an evolving cultural meeting place shaped by performance, cuisine, sound, and collective participation. Anchored by a maroon tent-like structure designed by Rirkrit Tiravanija, the exhibition brings together artists, musicians, poets, and chefs from across the Arab world and the broader MENASA region.

Commissioned by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and co-curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, the project is conceived as both architecture and social infrastructure. Tiravanija’s temporary intervention references traditional Qatari gathering spaces through a fragmented mashrabiya pattern that filters light, air, and movement across the site, housing a continuous series of activations running throughout the duration of the Biennale. Live performances organized by Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui intersect with culinary programs developed by Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan.

rikrit tiravanija designs qatar pavilion for gatherings, performances and rituals in venice - 1 — all images by Andrea Avezzù, unless stated otherwise

a temporary pavilion shaped by collaboration

The exhibition expands on Tiravanija’s long-running practice of creating environments activated through human interaction and shared experience. The structure becomes a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, inviting visitors into spaces animated by food, listening sessions, improvisation, and film screenings. The project anticipates the construction of Qatar’s permanent Giardini pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh, announced earlier this year.

Among the featured works is DAMAR TV (2026), a new experimental narrative film by Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria. The film follows television journalist Damar Darwish, portrayed by Lebanese actress Yumna Marwan, after she loses her voice during a live broadcast confrontation. Through encounters with musicians including Fatima Al Qadiri, Dali de Saint Paul, Sarah Ourahmane, and Sulafa Elyas, the work explores the unstable boundary between media spectacle, memory, and sonic transformation.

Alongside the film, Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid presents Jerrican (2026), a monumental fiberglass sculpture based on the utilitarian water containers commonly found across the Gulf. Enlarged to architectural scale yet hollow and lightweight, the work references systems of circulation, labor, and resource infrastructure embedded within the urban landscape of the Arabian Gulf.

rikrit tiravanija designs qatar pavilion for gatherings, performances and rituals in venice - 2 — exterior view of untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people) at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia | image by Giuseppe Miotto Marco Cappelletti Studio

performances, field recordings and culinary rituals

More than a dozen activations will take place between the Biennale’s opening and closing weeks. Atoui’s program draws from his ongoing research into listening practices and archival sound, incorporating recordings captured along Qatar’s coastline together with material from Lebanese sound recorder Paul Matar’s 1960s archive. Improvisational performances reinterpret historical recordings through contemporary electronic and experimental music traditions, while culinary programs explore migration, preservation, and exchange through ingredients and communal dining rituals.

Produced by Qatar Museums and presented by Rubaiya Qatar, the exhibition arrives ahead of the inaugural edition of Rubaiya Qatar, the new contemporary art quadrennial of the country set to launch in Doha in November 2026.

In a statement accompanying the project, Sheikha Al Mayassa described the pavilion as an expression of openness and shared humanity during a moment marked by conflict and division, emphasizing culture’s capacity to connect people through visions, sounds, and flavors across the Arab world.