Art Dubai Announces Developments In Senior Leadership

Art Dubai announces new developments in senior leadership: Myrna Ayad appointed as Fair Director, working towards the eleventh edition of the fair alongside VIP Relations Director Lela Csáky and International Director Pablo del Val. Current Director Antonia Carver will step down to take up Board-level advisory role. From left to right: Myrna Ayad, Lela Csáky, Pablo del Val and Antonia Carver

Art Dubai is delighted to announce that Myrna Ayad is joining its senior management team, taking up the role of Fair Director. Ayad assumes her post in Dubai on May 1, 2016, working towards the eleventh edition of the fair alongside VIP Relations Director Lela Csáky and International Director Pablo del Val.

The current director of Art Dubai, Antonia Carver, has been appointed the first Art Jameel Director and will oversee the major development of the arts foundation. Carver remains a close advisor to Art Dubai and will serve on the fair’s Board.

Ayad will be responsible for developing Art Dubai’s program and the fair’s relationships with collectors, institutions and partners, maintaining and growing Art Dubai’s position as the world’s most global art fair. Working with Lela Csáky, Pablo del Val and the Art Dubai team, Ayad will nurture the strong partnerships the fair has with leading local and international galleries.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1977, Myrna Ayad is an independent arts writer, editor and consultant who has been based in the UAE for over thirty years. She has written prolifically for publications including The New York Times, The Art Newspaper, Artsy, Art Forum, Artnet and The National among others, and published books on major collections and art movements in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Previously Editor of Canvas, a leading magazine for art and culture from the Middle East and Arab world where she worked for eight years (2007-2015), Ayad is recognized as one of the Middle East’s leading voices and cultural commentators.

Myrna Ayad, new Fair Director, Art Dubai said: “I’m overjoyed to be joining Art Dubai which – thanks to the ambitions of Antonia and the team – has become the world’s foremost platform for the art communities of the Middle East and South Asia. Having attended and worked with the fair since 2007, I’m excited by the opportunity to work with the team to build on this success.”

Commenting on the change in leadership, Benedict Floyd, CEO of the Art Dubai Group said: “It is with great regret that we see Antonia depart from Art Dubai, and on behalf of the shareholders and our partners, we would like to acknowledge her dedication and all that’s been achieved to date; thanks to Antonia’s leadership and fantastic team, the future has never looked brighter for Art Dubai. We enter the next phase in the fair’s history in great anticipation with the leadership of Myrna and our highly experienced senior management team.

Art Dubai has grown to become the world’s most global fair, and the leading fair for the region. Myrna’s thorough knowledge, understanding and extensive connections within cultural scenes locally and across the Middle East, her strong background in writing and reputation as one of the region’s foremost cultural commentators will be of huge value for the fair. We look forward to working with her to build on what has been achieved to date.”

Antonia Carver said: “While I leave with a heavy heart, it’s been an honor to lead the fair for the past six years, and I wanted to thank the Art Dubai team, and all our partners and collaborators, for their extraordinary commitment and support. The development of Art Dubai and the strength of its programming has gone hand-in-hand with the growth of the local and regional arts scene, and the increased international recognition for its artists, galleries and institutions. There has never been such a palpable engagement from the global arts community in the work being produced by artists emerging and established in the Middle East and South Asia – and we’re really proud of the role played by Art Dubai in this process.”

Art Dubai, with The Abraaj Group as lead partner, celebrated its tenth edition in March 2016, achieving one of the most successful editions to date. The fair offered unparalleled insight into the dynamic art scenes burgeoning outside Europe and America. Both major and emerging galleries with an international outlook and roster continue to do exceptionally well at Art Dubai, tapping into a market that remains underrepresented at art world events in the West. As well as exhibiting galleries from over 40 countries, the fair supports the largest not-for-profit program of any such event, worldwide; this extraordinarily diverse community and education program is run in partnership with the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and with support from Dubai Design District (d3).