Qatar Museums (QM) opened Sunday the “Beyti Beytak • My Home is Your Home” exhibition, with QM Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in attendance.
Organised by the future Art Mill Museum and on view until May 29, 2027, the exhibition is presented at the historic Fahad bin Ali Palace, marking the first time the 1953 landmark next to the Amiri Diwan has opened to the public.
First presented at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2025, “Beyti Beytak” has been expanded for its Doha presentation, including a new commission by Iraqi architect Ola Znad and archival research tracing Doha’s urban development.
The exhibition explores ideas of home, hospitality, and belonging through architecture, art, and design.
Bringing together more than 40 architects, designers, and practitioners from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (Menasa) region and beyond, the exhibition examines architecture as a social and cultural practice rooted in home, hospitality, collective care, and shared responsibility.
Across seven sections, visitors encounter architectural models, drawings, archival material, films, and site-specific installations that explore communal places, from desert oases and sacred spaces to private residences and contemporary museums.
Set within a palace that blends Art Deco and vernacular Qatari architecture, the exhibition puts contemporary practice in conversation with Doha’s built heritage.
At the centre of the Doha presentation is Souq Al Liqa, a new work by Znad, who specialises in traditional, sustainable reed construction.
Inspired by the communal role of women in the Ahwar, the marshes of southern Iraq, the installation honours the Marsh Arab women who have carried knowledge of weaving, dyeing, storytelling and hospitality across generations.
Conceived as a living marketplace and cultural ecosystem, it will host public activities throughout the exhibition’s run.
“Beyti Beytak” brings together pioneering modernists, including Raj Rewal (India), Nayyar Ali Dada (Pakistan), Abeer Seikaly (Jordan) and Minnette de Silva (Sri Lanka), alongside contemporary architects and practices such as Marina Tabassum and Nabil Haque (Bangladesh), AAU Anastas (Palestine/France), Sameep Padora [sP + A] and Balkrishna Doshi, Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (India), DAAZ Studio (Iran), Ahmed Hossam Saafan (Egypt), Sumaya Dabbagh (Saudi Arabia), Diller Scofidio + Renfro (US), and Meriem Chabani with New South (France).
The exhibition also reflects on the legacy of Egyptian architect and urbanist Hassan Fathy and his commitment to vernacular forms, techniques and materials.
“‘Beyti Beytak’ is a clear expression of what the Art Mill Museum will be: an institution that places the creativity of the Menasa region at the heart of a global conversation,” said Art Mill Museum concept director Catherine Grenier.
“Architecture, design and gardens are integral to our vision, and opening the doors of the Fahad bin Ali Palace for the first time allows the public to experience these ideas in one of Doha’s architectural treasures,” she said. “Through its public programme and publication, the exhibition will continue to evolve throughout its run.”
Aurélien Lemonier, senior curator of Architecture, Design, and Gardens at the Art Mill Museum and curator of the exhibition, said: “After Venice, it is a privilege to bring Beyti Beytak home to Doha, where the idea of hospitality is lived every day.”
The exhibition also marks the launch of “Beyti Beytak: Architectures of MENASA”, a new publication by the Art Mill Museum, edited by Sean Anderson and Virgile Alexandre.
Bringing together critical essays, new research, and project documentation, the book extends the exhibition’s exploration of architecture across the region, offers a lasting record of the projects on view, and contributes to wider debates on contemporary practice, regional histories, and the relationship between architecture and culture.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive public programme for schools, universities and families, running until May 2027.
Over the coming months, school groups can join guided tours and hands-on workshops on home, hospitality, and materials, while university students can attend talks and studio sessions with exhibiting architects and the curatorial team.
“Beyti Beytak” is co-curated by Lemonier and Anderson, assisted by independent curator Alexandre and Art Mill Museum assistant curator Farah al-Sidiky, with a scientific committee comprising Grenier, Ibrahim M Jaidah, Yasmeen Lari, Hafid Rakem and Raj Rewal.
The exhibition is designed by Cookies, with visual identity by Gaggero Works.
At the Fahad bin Ali Palace, it is presented alongside “Wooden Doors of Qatar: From Storage to Story”, organised with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and “Atharna 2026”, the QM’s annual archaeology exhibition, as part of QM’s Fall/Winter 2026 season.
The exhibition is open Saturday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm, except Mondays when it is closed, and on Fridays from 3.30pm to 9pm.
