Hala Khayat On Her New Role As Art Dubai’s Regional Director
Unveiling new initiatives ahead of Art Dubai’s recommencement in 2021, the Syrian art specialist will develop new audiences for the fair
Hala Khayat is optimistic. Known for building many seminal collections of contemporary and modern art from the Middle East, Khayat is a long-time figure in the UAE’s art scene. In fact, she has been to every iteration of the Art Dubai since the fair’s inception in 2007.
While her new role as Regional Director is centred around developing audiences through community engagement, both in local and regional contexts, Khayat assures, “I’m going to keep giving my eye and advice to our top collectors in terms of advising in how to best broaden their collections.”
Grosvenor Gallery (London). Art Dubai Modern. Art Dubai 2019.
Khayat’s appointment comes after Art Dubai announced that its 2021 iteration will physically take place in March, being the one of the only major international fairs to do so after a series of global fair cancellations left the delicate ecosystem of the art industry reeling.
While Art Dubai 2021’s revised format will have to depend on and adapt to future social distancing measures, Khayat shares that, “Currently, we’re talking about personalised experiences versus a mass approach. This personalised experience is going to be orchestrated by a new app, so you can have the fair in your hands. We’re also aiming to engage with more outdoor experiences, which the March weather offers. In 2021, the UAE is going to celebrate its 50th anniversary of the country, and so we are planning for an exciting week-long program of events throughout the whole UAE.”
Art Dubai 2019
A series of talks and smaller events will take place throughout the year leading up to the fair, alongside Art Dubai’s newly launched digital initiative, the Portraits Exhibition, which features works available for immediate sale by a well curated array of former participating artists.
Starting with Timo Nasseri’s latest body of work in A Universal Alphabet, a series of in-depth short films shot in Nasser’s Berlin studio provide a fascinating insight into the nuances of the artist’s practise.
Timo Nasseri. Universal Alphabet. 2019
“It’s an intense crash course of art history.” Khayat explains. “Despite being very familiar with Timo Nasseri’s work, I still learnt something new!”
A new online exhibition will launch every two weeks, with Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s monochromatic paintings on view next Thursday, as the Emirati artist gears up to represent the UAE at the 2022 Venice Biennal. Strong bodies of works by Dia Al Azzawi, Naqsh Collective, Aya Haidar, Mohamed Kazem, and Abdul Rahman Katami, are to follow.
Photography Courtesy of Art Dubai