Qatar Museums has once again raised the bar with the 2025 edition of the Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar, the nation's premier photography biennial. This year, the festival embarks on a compelling exploration of belonging, showcased through eight distinct exhibitions across five locations in Doha.
Under the visionary leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Tasweer continues to champion artistic talent, foster cross-cultural understanding, and cultivate the creative economy. The festival serves as a dynamic platform, featuring exhibitions, awards, commissions, collaborations, presentations, and workshops. It's a space dedicated to amplifying diverse photographic practices and dialogues, nurturing the professional and creative growth of photographers from West Asia and North Africa (WANA).
A Festival of Visionaries
The third edition of Tasweer is a testament to the dedication of its team, originally launched in 2021 by Founding Director Khalifa Al Obaidly. This year, Meriem Berrada takes the helm as Artistic Director, joined by guest curators Sheikha Maryam Hassan Al-Thani and Dr. Bahaaeldin Abudaya.
Khalifa Al Obaidly aptly notes the festival's commitment to bringing together an outstanding group of artists and documentarians, highlighting the tireless efforts of the team in serving Qatar's photography community and advancing visual storytelling in the WANA region.
Exploring the Layers of Belonging
Artistic Director Meriem Berrada's vision for this edition delves into the multifaceted layers of belonging. The eight exhibitions feature the works of over 88 artists from the Arab world and its diasporas, offering a rich tapestry of identity, community, and collective memory.
Exhibition Highlights
- As I Lay Between Two Seas: The anchor exhibition at the Fire Station: Artist in Residence, setting the tone for the festival's theme.
- Daoud Aoulad Syad, Territories of the Instant: A celebration of over three decades of work by Moroccan photographer and filmmaker Daoud Aoulad-Syad.
- Obliteration – Surviving the Inferno: Gaza’s Battle for Existence: Powerful depictions of the ongoing war in Gaza, organized with Photo Humanity Grant.
- Refractions: Tasweer Project Awards: Showcasing images by 18 contemporary Arab photographers who won the 2023 and 2024 Tasweer Awards.
- Threads of Light: Stories from the Tasweer Single Image Awards: Featuring 32 winning photographs from 2023 and 2024, representing photographers from 12 countries across the Arab world and beyond.
- Al-Mihrab: Khalid Al-Musallamany’s visual conversation about places of worship in Qatar.
- After The Game: Highlights photographers' and filmmakers' engagement with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
- Garangao 2025: Photographs submitted through an open call, capturing a cherished tradition.
Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar 2025 promises to be a thought-provoking and visually stunning experience, inviting audiences to contemplate and self-reflect on the many facets of belonging.
All exhibitions are on show until 20 June 2025 tasweer.org.qa
