Rirkrit Tiravanija (b. 1961) is a Thai contemporary artist renowned for creating artworks that bring people together through shared experiences.
In untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes), Tiravanija invites visitors to experience the space as they wish: as an art installation, and as a place to eat, talk, or simply reflect.
The pavilion acts as a flexible and collaborative space that encourages visitors to bring their own ideas to the space. Its design pays homage to Qatar’s Islamic heritage with its octagonal shape inspired by the Museum of Islamic Art’s (MIA) architecture. Its maroon tiles are a nod to the Adaam colour of Qatar’s national flag.
The pavilion's geometric tiles are purposefully and playfully scrambled to reflect how communities, their cultures, and traditions interconnect and transform each other, and mirror the multicultural experience found in Qatar and at MIA Park.
The installation is inspired by Argentinian artist Victor Grippo's 1972 performance, where bread was baked and shared on the streets of Buenos Aires as an act of communal engagement, and a gesture of generosity that dissolved the boundaries between art and life.
Here in Qatar, Tiravanija extends that gesture by allowing bakers from Qatar's diverse communities to transform the space into a place of sharing and belonging.
The installation is running from 7 November 2025 to 6 February 2026 and is part of a series of programmes leading up to Rubaiya Qatar’s inaugural edition.
Rubaiya Qatar serves as a nation-wide, multidisciplinary arts quadrennial opening in November 2026, and is part of Al Riwaq: Arts and Architecture.
