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Photo Courtesy of Nada Harib

Tasweer 2025: 3rd Edition

The 2025 Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar is the 3rd biennial programme of exhibitions, awards, commissions, collaborations, presentations and workshops that amplify diverse practices and dialogues of photographers and photographic communities in Qatar and the Western Asia and North Africa (WANA) region.

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The 3rd edition of Tasweer explores the complex notion of belonging through 8 exhibitions, offering a multifaceted look at identity, where each venue and theme complements the other, inviting the audience to reflect on how we find, create, and negotiate our sense of place in our society.

Featuring:

95+ Photographers
8 Exhibitions
10+ Talks & Tours
5+ Workshops
3+ Family Activities
10+ Portfolio Reviews
5+ Vocational Programs
4+ Outreach Programs

Exhibitions

Ali Zaraay (Egypt) Crawling on the Dust

As I Lay Between Two Seas

The main exhibition of the 3rd Festival edition, "As I Lay Between Two Seas", explores the theme of belonging through the works of three generations of Arab artists and their diasporas. Organized around three sub-themes inspired by Global South thinkers, the exhibition unfolds across galleries, outdoor spaces, and heritage sites, inviting visitors to engage with diverse narratives of identity and place.
Erfoud, © Daoud Aoulad-Syad-Thumbnail

Daoud Aoulad Syad, Territories of the Instant

A Solo Exhibition by Daoud Aoulad-Syad This exhibition celebrates over three decades of work by Moroccan photographer and filmmaker Daoud Aoulad-Syad. Deeply intertwined with his cinematic vision and the essence of Moroccan popular culture, his photography captures the soul of his homeland, particularly its most remote regions. Since the 1990s, Aoulad-Syad has documented Moroccan landscapes, architecture, and people captured in dynamic moments, creating images that weave together visual storytelling with a subtle, timeless beauty.
Ali Jadallah,We Are Here... We Pull Each Other Up and Feed Our Hungry

Obliteration – Surviving the Inferno: Gaza’s Battle for Existence

The exhibition unfolds in five powerful stages, each capturing a phase of the terrifying war on Gaza. It traces its escalation over the past 12 months, following the genocidal assault launched by the Israeli occupation army on the civilians of Gaza on October 7th.​ Each stage serves as powerful visual documentation, bearing witness to the unfolding tragedy on the ground. The images and accompanying texts aim to guide the public through the relentless devastation, urging a deeper understanding of the ongoing genocide in Gaza a catastrophe happening before the eyes of a paralyzed world. This exhibition confronts the harsh reality of the most appalling mass killing of our time.​
Amina Kadous, Self Portrait

Refractions-Tasweer-Project-Awards

The 2025 Tasweer Awards exhibition brings together 18 contemporary Arab photographers, winners from 2023 and 2024, at Katara Cultural Village's gallery spaces. Through three interconnected chapters - Scattered Reflections, documenting the initial impact of displacement; Wandering Horizons, exploring communities in transition; and Carried Memories, examining cultural preservation - the exhibition traces how communities adapt and preserve their identities in the face of environmental and social change. From Sudan's current conflict to Iraq's vanishing marshlands, from Gaza's changing landscapes to Morocco's disappearing oases, these photographers capture critical moments of transformation across the Arab world.
Mohamed-Nageeb-Nasr

Threads of Light: Stories from the Tasweer Single Image Awards

Threads of Light: Stories from the Tasweer Single Image Awards presents 31 compelling images from the 2023 and 2024 awards, each capturing a fragment of memory, culture, and emotion. Spanning 12 countries across the Arab world and beyond, these photographs reveal the extraordinary in the everyday—from intimate Egyptian portraits to the vibrancy of Yemeni streets, the sacred traditions of Oman, and contemporary moments in Iraq. Selected from hundreds of submissions, the collection weaves together documentary, street photography, and artistic expression into a rich visual tapestry.
Khalid Al-Musallamany_Al Mihrab

Al-Mihrab

In Al-Mihrab, Khalid Al-Musallamany presents a striking photographic exploration of mosques in Qatar, capturing their spiritual and architectural essence in both black and white and color. Through his lens, tradition and modernity meet, reflecting the beauty, peace, and enduring significance of places of worship in Qatari culture.
After The Game Exhibition, Presented at Tasweer 2025

After The Game

"After The Game" explores powerful photographic and film responses to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. From stadiums to streets, the exhibition captures the passion, emotion, and cultural impact of football—featuring works by local artists and short films from the Doha Film Institute’s “Made in Qatar” program.
Alwaleed Khaled. Maryah’s Henna (2025). Digital Photograph

Garangao-2025

A highlight of the 3rd Edition of Tasweer: Qatar Photo Festival, Garangao 2025 showcases the results of a Qatar- and region-wide open call. Rooted in a beloved cultural tradition, this special community exhibition presents powerful photographic reflections on memory, belonging, and resilience—offering a collective portrait of identity across generations and geographies.

Live Programmes

Photo by Osama Akood

Qatar Photography Symposium: As I Lay Between Two Seas

Launching at Tasweer 2025, the 'Qatar Photography Symposium: As I Lay Between Two Seas' explores belonging through photography. This one-day event brings together photographers, curators, and scholars for keynotes, panels, and discussion on identity, home, displacement, resilience, and AI—examining how photography shapes our understanding of self, place, and connection.
Courtesy of Qatar Museums

The Review Room: Portfolio Reviews at Tasweer 2025

A free one-on-one opportunity for photographers to present their work to expert reviewers. Designed to offer meaningful feedback, The Review Room helps participants sharpen their vision, strengthen their practice, and better understand their place in the photography world.
Courtesy of Qatar Museums

Mousganistan: Mous Lamrabat Photo Book Launch

As part of Tasweer’s 3rd Edition, acclaimed Moroccan-Belgian photographer Mous Lamrabat presents the launch of his latest photobook Mousganistan at M7—a vibrant celebration of identity, beauty, and unapologetic self-expression.
Courtesy of Qatar Museums

Tasweer Family Open Day 2025

Join us on Friday, 25 April for a full day of photography, creativity, and community at the Fire Station. Experience the Tasweer Photo Festival like never before—with workshops, live portrait sessions, zine-making, film screenings, and more.
Courtesy of Qatar Reads

A Creative Family Open Day

Qatar Reads, in collaboration with Tasweer, invites Family Reading Program subscribers to a special event filled with creative activities and artistic inspiration. Subscribe now to join the fun!
Courtesy of Tasweer Photo festival Qatar

The Power of a Single Image: Panel Talk

Join acclaimed jurors Khalifa Al Obaidly, Khalid Ismail, Alwaleed Khaled, and Manjri Saxena as they explore the emotion, storytelling, and impact behind the 2024 winning Single Image Award photographs..
Courtesy of Tasweer Photo festival Qatar

Masterclass on Capturing Memorabilia with Ghada N. Al Mawlawi

Learn the art of capturing powerful still life photographs that evoke memory and emotion through light, composition, color, and texture.
Themba B. Mtwazi_Courtesy of Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar

Words and Strings: Spoken Poetry & Music Night

Tasweer joins forces with Words and Strings for an inspiring evening of live poetry and music at the Fire Station Cinema. Join us as poets, spoken word artists, and musicians take the stage to explore powerful themes through rhythm and storytelling. Register now to attend this free event and be part of the experience.
Themba B. Mtwazi_Courtesy of Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar

Refractions: Tasweer Project Awards - Curator Led Tour

Join Sheikha Maryam Hassan Al Thani, Curator of the Tasweer Project Awards, for a guided tour of the Refractionsexhibition at Katara Galleries 45 and 46. Explore the unique artistic expressions and concepts behind each featured work, and gain deeper insight into the creative processes and themes presented by the Tasweer 2023 and 2024 Project Awardees.
Themba B. Mtwazi, Courtesy of Qatar Museums

VII Foundation: Frame & Focus (Closing Program)

Presented in collaboration with QPS and Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar, this closing event showcases the works of Frame & Focus participants alongside talks and reflections from visiting artists. Join us in celebrating the creative journeys and achievements shaped through this collaborative photography programme.
Courtesy of Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar

Curator Tour of Al Mihrab & After the Game with Khalifa Al Obaidly

Join us for a special curatorial tour led by Tasweer’s Director, Khalifa Al Obaidly, offering insight into two powerful exhibitions. Al Mihrab presents Khalid Al-Musallamany’s photographic reflections on mosque architecture and spirituality. After the Game explores the cultural resonance of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through photography and film. The tour concludes with Garangao 2025, an exhibition centred on belonging, memory, and intergenerational identity.

3rd Edition Partners

Photo by Themba B. Mtwazi_Courtesy of Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar

Tasweer 2025: 3rd Edition Sponsors & Partners

The 3rd Edition of Tasweer was made possible by the remarkable support of our partners, sponsors, participating artists, and our dedicated volunteers — the Tasweeries — who were instrumental in bringing the festival to life. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who contributed their vision and creativity, helping shape Tasweer into a dynamic platform for photography, dialogue, and connection. We also express our sincere appreciation to our official Supporter, The Social & Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM), whose generous support played a key role in realising this edition of the festival. We look forward to welcoming you again for the 4th Edition in 2027, as we continue this shared journey of storytelling through the lens.