Doha: Fire Station will present Portals in Flux as part of the 9th edition of the Artist in Residence (AIR) programme. On view from Oct. 28 to Dec. 31, 2025, the exhibition will feature the work of 15 Qatar-based artists who were selected to participate in the nine-month residency of research and experimentation.
According to Qatar News Agency, Portals in Flux will present works of art in a variety of media that touch on themes of movement and the crossing of thresholds. Whether rooted in the desert, cosmos, daily rituals, or intimate home spaces, each artwork becomes a portal offering an opening into another state of being or seeing. The exhibition explores art as a means of spatial and emotional navigation-a way to move through imagined geographies and embodied experiences. The exhibition will unfold as a sequence of thresholds: transitions that alter one’s sense of time, place, and presence. Artists were encouraged to challenge their practices through exploring unfamiliar materials, production techniques, and conceptual directions.
Participating artists for the ninth edition are Alaa Albarazy (Syria), Alexandrine Guerin (France), Salha Al Subaiei (Qatar), Reem Al Shamari (Qatar), Sara Al Naimi (Qatar), Surabhi Gaikwad (India), Galyiah Al Mohannadi (Qatar), Lolwa al Meghaiseeb (Qatar), Khalid Alarabi (Sudan), Reham Mohamed (Sudan), Naima Al Majdobah (Jordan), John Vendetti (Canada), Fae Siddiqui (Pakistan), Natalia Mejia (Colombia), and Nada Elkharashi (Egypt).
Saida Alkhulaifi, the exhibition’s curator, said, ‘We are delighted to present the culmination of nine months of research and experimentation by this talented group of artists. The exhibition will provide visitors a multitude of perspectives on movement, transformation, and the crossing of thresholds-expressed through diverse media such as sound, material, and visual installations that draw on the unique perspective of each of these emerging artists.’
The exhibition culminates the AIR programme at the Fire Station, a world-class residency designed to foster and promote Qatar’s artistic talents. Through the programme, emerging and mid-career artists are offered a transformative platform to sharpen their creative skills through expert mentorship, production support, and curatorial guidance. Artists also receive access to studio space and fabrication facilities to foster talent development.
The programme achieved remarkable success, extending its influence to include a three-month residency at the esteemed Cit© Internationale des Arts in Paris and Studio 209 NY, a part of the renowned International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) in New York City.
The Fire Station announced the Arts Intensive Study Programme (AISP) as a successor to AIR. Led by the Fire Station’s Artistic Director, Wael Shawky, AISP will present a select cohort of 23 emerging international and Qatari artists with the opportunity to participate in a curriculum designed to foster critical thinking, hands-on learning, and professional development. The inaugural edition of the new programme will run from Sept. 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
Portals in Flux is presented as part of Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign honoring Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years, since the founding of the National Museum of Qatar. Curated by Qatar Creates, the national movement positioning Qatar as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity, Evolution Nation highlights both the nation’s cultural milestones and its aspirations for the future.