2026 Review | January–May

2026 Review | January–May

The first months of 2026 have seen the ARAK Collection continue to expand its programme of exhibitions, publishing, public engagement, fellowships, and international partnerships. Across Windhoek, Doha, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Accra, the Collection has strengthened its commitment to research-led practice, knowledge production, and critical dialogue, while creating new opportunities for collaboration across Africa and the Gulf region.

Highlights

• Public programme presented during the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar.
• Launch of Rudolf Seibeb: Portraits of the Common, the first comprehensive publication dedicated to the Namibian artist's practice, in Windhoek.
• International launches of African Art: The ARAK Collection and ten ARAK publications in Doha, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.
• Major exhibitions and public conversations in Qatar and South Africa.
• Four recipients announced for the 2026 Curatorial and Art Writing Fellowship Programme.
• Long-term partnership established with the Foundation for Contemporary Art–Ghana
  (FCA–Ghana).

JANUARY | PUBLISHING

30 January  |  Rudolf Seibeb: Portraits of the Common Book Launch | The Project Room, Windhoek, NamibiaThe ARAK Collection celebrated the launch of Rudolf Seibeb: Portraits of the Common, the first comprehensive publication dedicated to the practice of Namibian artist Rudolf Seibeb. The publication features a foreword by Abdul Rahman Saleh AlKhelaif and essays by Ashraf Jamal, Marcos Jinguba, Jamil Osmar Parasol, Elize van Huyssteen, and Frieda Lühl. Together, the contributions reflect on Seibeb's practice while situating his work within broader conversations on contemporary Namibian art. The launch at The Project Room brought together artists, writers, curators, and members of the public to celebrate the publication and ARAK's ongoing commitment to research-led publishing across Africa.

FEBRUARY | ART BASEL QATAR PROGRAMME, EXHIBITIONS & PUBLISHING

1 February | What's On at ARAK During Art Basel Week | Doha, QatarThe ARAK Collection launched its public programme for the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar with aweek of exhibitions, conversations, and publications, introducing audiences to its ongoing commitment to contemporary African art, research, and cultural exchange.

1–28 February | Ade'nnsãda!; Where Night Never Falls… Initiating Contemporary Pan- African Dialogues Around Tapestry and the Masterpiece | Liwan Design Studios and Labs, DohaPresented in collaboration with the Foundation for Contemporary Art–Ghana (FCA–Ghana),TM Projects, Liwan Design Studios, and VCU Arts Qatar, the exhibition brought together thirteen artists from five African countries. Exploring tapestry, materiality, memory, and Pan-African dialogue, the exhibition was accompanied by talks and public programmes that extended conversations beyondthe gallery.

2 February | African Art: The ARAK Collection Book Discussion | AlHosh Gallery, DohaCoinciding with Art Basel Qatar, ARAK hosted a public discussion around African Art: The ARAK Collection, published by SKIRA. Bringing together contributors from publishing, academia, and curatorial practice, the conversation positioned the publication as both an archival resource and a critical intervention, highlighting publishing as an extension of curatorial practice and knowledge production.

5 February | Breakfast Reception Marking the Inaugural Edition of Art Basel Qatar | DohaARAK welcomed artists, curators, collectors, and international guests to a breakfast reception celebrating the opening of Art Basel Qatar. The event introduced visitors to the Collection's curatorial programme while creating opportunities for dialogue between local and international cultural practitioners.

13 & 18 February | ARAK Collection Book Launches | Strauss & Co., Johannesburg & Cape Town In partnership with Strauss & Co., ARAK launched ten publications across Johannesburg andCape Town, including the nine Curatorial Fellowship catalogues and Rudolf Seibeb: Portraits of the Common. Public conversations explored the research underpinning the fellowship programme, while artist RudolfSeibeb reflected on his practice during the Cape Town launch.

14 February | Curators in Conversation | FADA Gallery, JohannesburgAs part of the exhibitions After Material and There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of), ARAK hosted two public conversations featuring curators Soukaina Abouloula and Max Ors. The discussions examined curatorial methodologies, materiality, abstraction, and contemporary modes of knowledge production, extending the exhibitions through critical public dialogue.  

APRIL | FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME

April 2026 | 2026 Curatorial and Art Writing Fellowship ProgrammeARAK announced the recipients of its 2026 Fellowship Programme:

• Aleesha Suleman (Curatorial Fellowship)
• Billy Fowo (Curatorial Fellowship)
• Keamogetse Mosienyane (Curatorial Fellowship)
• Innocent Ekejiuba (Art Writing and Publishing Fellowship)

The fellows will undertake research-led projects exploring themes including abstraction, land and spatial practice, the Tingatinga school, and the curatorial legacies of Okwui Enwezor, Bisi Silva, and KoyoKouoh. The programme continues ARAK's long-term investment in research, publishing, and curatorial practice.

MAY | International Partnerships

22 May | Long-Term Partnership with the Foundation for Contemporary Art–GhanaARAK announced a long-term partnership with the Foundation for Contemporary Art–Ghana(FCA–Ghana) to deliver a series of art writing workshops supporting critical practice, research, and cultural exchange in Ghana. The collaboration strengthens ARAK's commitment to developing sustainable partnerships that support emerging writers, curators, and researchers across the continent.

2026 SO FAR

During the first months of 2026, the ARAK Collection has focused on:

• Expanding international exhibitions and public programming.
• Strengthening publishing as a platform for research and knowledge production.
• Supporting emerging curators and writers through fellowship programmes.
• Building long-term institutional partnerships across Africa.
• Creating opportunities for dialogue between artists, scholars, curators, and audiences across Africa, the Gulf region, and beyond.

About ARAK Collection

The ARAK Collection currently comprises over 3,800 works by 280 artists from 28 countries. Based in Doha, Qatar, it is the largest collection of African art in the Gulf region and serves as a significant Afro-Asian cultural interface. Through its fellowship programmes, the ARAK Collection actively supports emerging African writers and curators and seeks—beyond the global fetishisation of "Contemporary African Art"—to deepen interregional African cultural exchange. Central to this mission is the cultivation of knowledge and the careful negotiation between indigenous and exogenous epistemologies. While the global art world continues to uphold northern hemispheric centres of value, the Global South is increasingly redefining cultural worth in response to a rapidly changing world. The ARAK Collection and its board remain committed to sustaining and advancing African creativity.

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