The Fire Station is a world-class artist residency programme for residents of Qatar designed to nurture, energize and promote the country’s artistic and creative community, and enrich the art scene in Qatar. Founded in 2015 and located in a fire station repurposed by Qatari architect Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah, the Fire Station offers a nine-month programme for creatives across all disciplines, enabling young artists to cultivate their talent through production support, curatorial advice, and expert mentorships. During the residency, artists engage with professionals from all over the world who recognize Qatar as a growing centre of artistic talent and creativity. Over the past nine years, the programme has welcomed 158 artists and expanded its duration to include a three-month stint at the prestigious Cite Internationale des Art in Paris and New York City at Studio 209 NY, which is part of the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP).
The Fire Station includes extensive studio spaces, a theatre, the popular restaurant Café #999, a bookshop, an art supply shop, and gallery spaces presenting inspiring local and international exhibitions. The Fire Station has also hosted world-class exhibitions organized by Qatar Museums within its expansive Garage Gallery, including Pipilotti Rist: Electric Idyll (2024), Experience Al Jazeera (2022), Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” (2021), Picassos Studios (2020), KAWS: He Eats Alone (2019) curated by renown art historian Germano Celant, Kazimir Malevich: Genius of the Russian Avant-garde (2019), Russian Avant-garde Pioneers and Direct Descendants (2018), Laundromat by Ai Weiwei (2018), German Encounters – Contemporary Masterworks from the Deutsche Bank Collection (2017), and Picasso-Giacometti (2017). The Fire Station is headed by Director Khalifa Al Obaidly, the renowned Qatari photographer.
Find Us Online
Fire Station
Instagram: @dohafirestation
Twitter: @DohaFireStation
Facebook: @dohafirestation
Website: https://firestation.org.qa/