Qatar Creates (QC) has announced a programme of six QC Talks taking place from October 24 to 27 at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) Auditorium, as part of the Qatar Creates Fall/Winter 2026–27 season. Bringing together leading figures from art, design, architecture, and cultural leadership, the programme will feature Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, and Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan al-Qasimi, president and director of Sharjah Art Foundation.
QC Talks offers an opportunity to engage directly with cultural practitioners and explore the ideas, influences and questions shaping contemporary art, design and cultural practice.
The programme begins on October 24 from 3pm to 4pm with What Makes an Icon?, a discussion exploring how artworks, buildings, objects and designs become iconic and what gives them lasting cultural significance. Speakers include Amir Berbić, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar (VCUarts Qatar); Sumayya Vally, Honourary Professor of Practice at University College London (UCL) and Principal of Counterspace, Johannesburg; and Mohamed Benchellal, fabric sculptor and Founder of BENCHELLAL. The talk will be moderated by Dr Jelena Trkulja, editorial director of QC Talks and Senior Advisor for Academic and Cultural Affairs, QM.
On October 25, the programme turns to collecting and fashion. From 12pm to 1pm, The Collector as Visionary: Sheikh Hassan al-Thani and the Making of Qatar’s Modern Art Scene will feature His Excellency Sheikh Dr Hassan bin Mohamed al-Thani, president of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. The conversation will revisit his early encounters with Arab modern artists, his collecting journey and the establishment of Mathaf. The talk will be moderated by Dr Bahaa Abudaya, senior curator of Al Riwaq, QM.
Later that day, from 1.15pm to 2.15pm, British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralioğlu, Founder and Creative Director of ERDEM, will engage in conversation with Maha Ghanim al-Sulaiti, director of M7, for Erdem: Dressing the Imagination. They will discuss his artistic vision, the role of storytelling in fashion, and the creative process behind ERDEM: About Time, About Her, a major retrospective opening at M7 on 27 October, featuring over 150 pieces,, including garments, sketches, and atelier materials.
On October 26, from 11am to 12pm, the panel discussion Behind the Exhibition will bring together Sheikha Reem al-Thani, deputy CEO of QM; Sheikha Al Jazi al-Thani, head of Exhibitions Design and Build Up; Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of Serpentine; and Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, director of the British Museum. Moderated by Issa al-Shirawi, head of International Exhibitions and Curator at QM, the panel will reveal the planning, collaboration and production involved in staging major international exhibitions.
From 12.15pm to 1.15pm, Doha: A City in the Making will trace the city's architectural development, from its pre-oil neighbourhoods to contemporary landmarks. Architect Ibrahim al-Jaidah, Group CEO and chief architect at Arab Engineering Bureau, and Dr Sultana Al-Nabet, assistant professor of Urban Planning at Qatar University, will address urban identity, heritage preservation, and future development. The talk will be moderated by Professor Christoph Lindner, president and vice-chancellor, Royal College of Art, London.
The programme culminates on October 27, from 10am to 11am, with the keynote panel Leading in Challenging Times, featuring HE Sheikha Al Mayassa and Sheikha Hoor al-Qasimi. Moderated by Adrian Ellis, director of AEA Consulting and Chair of the Global Cultural Districts Network, the conversation will address the challenges facing cultural institutions today, from maintaining public trust and institutional values to navigating changing social and economic expectations.
