Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and others at the launch of an exhibition.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums yesterday launched the 2025 edition of the Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar, the nation’s premier photography biennial. This year’s festival will explore themes of belonging through eight exhibitions in five locations, anchored by the lead exhibition As I Lay Between Two Seas at the Fire Station: Artist in Residence.
The exhibitions were unveiled by Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, in the attendance of Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, CEO, Qatar Museums; and Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani, Mathaf President, among other dignitaries.
Established under the leadership of H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar builds on the nation’s commitment to nurture artistic talent, build bridges of understanding through the arts, and further develop the creative economy.
It was originally launched in 2021 by Founding Director Khalifa Al Obaidly. The third edition features Meriem Berrada as Artistic Director along with guest curators Sheikha Maryam Hassan Al-Thani and Dr. Bahaaeldin Abudaya.
Khalifa Al Obaidly said, “It is an honour to bring such an outstanding group of artists and documentarians together for the third Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar. Our curators, programming directors, and volunteers for this edition have devoted themselves tirelessly to serving the photography community in Qatar and advancing the art of visual storytelling in the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region. We look forward to celebrating their achievements.”
Meriem Berrada said, “This edition of Tasweer explores the many layers of belonging through eight exhibitions across Doha, showcasing the work of over 88 artists from the Arab world and its diasporas. Together, they celebrate the richness and diversity of lens-based practices in our region, offering a compelling exploration of identity, community, and collective memory.”
Joining As I Lay Between Two Seas are the exhibitions Daoud Aoulad Syad, Territories of the Instant, celebrating over three decades of work by Moroccan photographer and filmmaker Daoud Aoulad-Syad; Obliteration – Surviving the Inferno: Gaza’s Battle for Existence, presenting powerful depictions of the ongoing war in Gaza, organised with Photo Humanity Grant; Refractions: Tasweer Project Awards, bringing together images by 18 contemporary Arab photographers who won the 2023 and 2024 Tasweer Awards; Threads of Light: Stories from the Tasweer Single Image Awards, showcasing 32 winning photographs from 2023 and 2024, representing photographers from 12 countries across the Arab world and beyond; Al-Mihrab, presenting Khalid Al-Al-Musallamany’s visual conversation about places of worship in Qatar; After The Game, highlighting photographers’ and filmmakers’ engagement with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Garangao 2025, featuring photographs submitted through an open call celebrating the power of photography in capturing a cherished tradition.
