@Home with MENART - "The new dynamic of the Middle East Art Scene"

We are delighted to invite you to the 1st chapter of "The New Dynamic of the Middle East Art Scene" series, The United Arab Emirates.

The past 10 years have been exciting for the art scene in the Middle East.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seen the multiplication of Art Fairs, Biennale, Art Foundations, Institutions, Art Places, Museums, art schools, etc.

The first chapter, in partnership with MENART Fair, will focus on the UAE. 4 major art institutions and their directors, in conversation with Vincent Larnicol, will take us through their role in this New Dynamic and the way they support the new generation of artists from the region.

Maya Allison is the Chief Curator at NYU Abu Dhabi and founding Executive Director of the NYUAD Art Gallery & Curator of the UAE Pavilion to the Venice Biennale for 2022.

NYUAD Art Gallery is an intimate museum space in a university context, with a program encompassing contemporary and historical exhibitions.

Manal Ataya, a leading figure in the UAE cultural sector, is a museology specialist with 15 years of senior managerial experience in museum development and cultural diplomacy.  As Director General she oversees a team of 600+ staff working in Sharjah’s 16 museums, which cover areas of modern and contemporary Arab art, Islamic history, UAE heritage and archaeology.

Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal, has joined Alserkal in 2012 and has been instrumental in its evolution and responsible for overseeing its physical expansion.

Since its launch, in 2015, it become a key cultural destination for the MENASA region, housing more than 60 most prominent contemporary art galleries, community and creative spaces.

A vocal supporter of growing a creative economy, and a strong advocate for homegrown cultural paradigms developed in the Global South, she is the driving force behind Alserkal Arts Foundation in 2019, with non-profit activities in the arts, affirming the organisation’s commitment to artistic production, scholarship and research.

Dyala Nusseibeh is the Director of Abu Dhabi Art since 2016 and has created key new programmes for the fair that include Beyond: Emerging Artists, the Art + Tech Artist Residency, the Pavilion Prize, Beyond: Artist Commissions and a number of year round exhibitions and events that have further embedded the fair in the dynamic art eco-system of the emirate.

MENART Fair, the 1st international contemporary and modern art fair focusing on the art of the Middle East and North Africa, organized by Laure D’Hauteville, founder & director of Beirut Art Fair and Singapore Art fair, will take place in Paris from May 27th to 30th.