Career Moves

Abu Dhabi’s department of culture and tourism has appointed American curator Valerie Hillings as inaugural director of the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which will open on December 11. Hillings previously led the museum’s collection strategy and pre-opening programs from 2009 to 2018.

Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast has been tapped as artistic director of the second Bukhara Biennial. Set to open in September 2027, the biennial will continue its distinctive artist-artisan model while expanding programming to new historic sites. 

In the UAE, Hoor Al-Qasimi, Sharjah Art Foundation’s president and director, was named president of the Sharjah Museums Authority, which oversees 16 cultural and scientific institutions across the emirate.