Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) opened an exhibition yesterday at its gallery as part of its biennial event, Tasmeem Doha 2026.
One of VCUarts Qatar’s flagship programmes and signature art and design biennials, Tasmeem Doha 2026 has been running with various programmes since the beginning of this year. The latest exhibition titled ‘Secrecy is Immoral’ is co-curated by three alumni of VCUarts Qatar.
Speaking to Gulf Times, VCUarts Qatar dean Amir Berbic said that Tasmeem Doha is a long-standing flagship programme and has been running for many years at VCUarts Qatar.
"It has been a great opportunity for us to expand it for our students and faculty. We bring internationally recognised designers, artists, scholars for the event which enrich our curriculum. Tonight, we are seeing an exhibition opening, which is one part of a much larger Tasmeem conference. Earlier this year we had the print fair,” said dean Berbic.
He noted that, along with the exhibition, there are other activities, such as a speaker series taking place on Thursday and Saturday. "This year we are partnering with the Design Doha Biennial and that is an important kind of extension and it forms a significant part of a partnership in a much larger cultural and creative ecosystem,” he added.
Sarah al-Afifi, Hind al-Saad and Reham Mohamed are the co-curators of Tasmeem Doha 2026, and all of them are alumni of the university. VCUarts Qatar BFA and MFA alumni, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago MFA alum, the artist-designer trio brings together distinct yet deeply connected practices.
Together, they shape a bold curatorial vision and a dynamic programme of events that centre knowledge as a shared resource; exploring transmission, collaboration, and open ways of learning, making, and passing knowledge on.
"Planning for Tasmeem Doha 2026 began back in February 2026. It started with a print fair inviting design studios, publishers, and independent publishers to present their work and printed matter,” said Mohamed.
She said that ‘Secrecy is Immoral’ is a group exhibition that approaches knowledge as a living, evolving process. The works explore multiple modes of transmission: interrogating historical narratives and inherited power structures; archiving and preserving traces of resistance, advocacy, and cultural memory; and experimenting with non-linear forms of dispersion. Together, they affirm that the value of knowledge lies not in its control, but in its circulation.
"Our exhibition approaches transmission in various ways ranging from questioning historical narratives and inherited structures of power to archiving and preserving traces of resistance and cultural memory, and experimenting with non-linear ways of sharing information,” explained the curator.
The curators said that the exhibition features works by Aseel AlYaqoub, Amad Ansari, Lennart Lahuis, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, and Slavs and Tatars.
Tasmeem Doha 2026 will conclude on Saturday with a closing ceremony and several presentations. Tasmeem Doha is an international art and design biennial, hosted by VCUarts Qatar since 2004. Each edition of Tasmeem explores a contemporary theme through experimental formats, cross-disciplinary engagement, and critical discussions.