On the occasion of the inaugural Art Basel Qatar, The Baer Faxt sat down with a bevy of guests with ties to the region including Jean-Paul (JP) Engelen, Director at Acquavella and former Americas president at Phillips auction house.

Before spending a decade as Phillips' president for the Americas and worldwide co-head of modern and contemporary art, Engelen was the Director of Public Art and Exhibitions for Qatar Museums (previously Qatar Museum Authority), where he oversaw the installation of major public artworks by Richard Serra and Damien Hirst. Now working with Acquavella gallery, Engelen tells us about the gallery's booth of Jean-Michel Basquiat's and his experience in the region.

Other guests on The Baer Faxt Live from Doha include Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation; Princess Alia Al-Senussi, PhD; and Saud Alkhater, Qatari collector.

This conversation was recorded on the 5th of February, 2026.