Chief Executive Officer of QC+, Kirstin Mearns
Doha, Qatar: Chief Executive Officer of QC+, Kirstin Mearns, has described Art Basel Qatar as a defining moment in the country’s cultural journey, positioning the fair as a catalyst for long-term growth in both the creative economy and the wider cultural ecosystem.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of Art Basel Qatar, Mearns said QC+ plays a central role as an “agent of cultural commerce”, bridging art, hospitality and business within the broader framework of Qatar Museums and the cultural vision championed by the Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
As a strategic partner of Art Basel Qatar alongside Qatar Sports Investments, QC+ brings what Mearns described as a “right-brain, left-brain” approach, combining creative depth with commercial delivery.
“It’s about how people experience the fair — how they’re welcomed, how they eat, how they move through the space and how they understand what Qatar represents,” she said, adding that discussions are already under way about what the partnership could look like a decade from now
Drawing on her experience living through the arrival of Art Basel in Hong Kong, Mearns said Doha is now at a similar inflection point. “This is the catalyst. It’s the intersecting point between international, regional and local,” she said, describing Art Basel as “the World Cup of art” arriving in Qatar
She noted that quality, depth and storytelling were prioritised from the outset, with an emphasis on building emotional connections with artists before focusing on transactions. According to Mearns, this approach encourages long-term collecting and sustained relationships with artists rather than one-off purchases
Mearns highlighted the atmosphere of openness and generosity at the fair, pointing to the presence of global figures, senior officials and international visitors mingling naturally on the exhibition floor. She also praised the fair’s layout, inspired by nomadic traditions and movement, creating what she described as a “campus” or “nomadic trail” rather than a static exhibition space
Beyond the fair itself, QC+ is focused on building the infrastructure needed to sustain a thriving art market. A recent partnership with Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) will see the development of a major fine art storage and logistics hub in Qatar, supporting collectors, institutions and fairs such as Art Basel. Mearns said the goal is to allow artworks to be stored and handled locally, reducing reliance on overseas facilities while supporting sustainability and long-term capacity building
She also pointed to tangible success stories emerging from the fair, including the sale of works by Qatari artist Fatma Al-Maimi to international collector and music producer Swizz Beatz, who later shared the acquisition publicly.
“That’s exactly what we want to happen — exposure, recognition and meaningful commercial opportunity for local artists,” Mearns said
Mearns stressed that Art Basel Qatar aligns closely with Qatar National Vision 2030, particularly in terms of economic diversification. “Art and culture sit at the centre, but the ripple effects are everywhere — hotels are full, restaurants are busy and there is real secondary and tertiary economic impact,” she said.
