Art Dubai Group is pleased to announce two senior appointments to its leadership team. Alexie Glass-Kantor, formerly Executive Director of Artspace, Sydney, will take on the newly created role of Executive Director, Curatorial, leading Art Dubai Group’s artistic vision and strategy across all its arts platforms and Dunja Gottweis, former Global Head of Gallery Relations at Art Basel, will become the Director of Art Dubai Fair. They will join Benedetta Ghione and Pablo del Val in leading the company and its expanding programme of over thirty initiatives.
In a newly created role as Executive Director, Curatorial, Alexie will focus on growing partnerships and institution building, working closely with Art Dubai’s existing leadership team and in collaboration with the Dubai government to support local artistic programming and global exchanges. Taking up her role in April 2025, and working in close dialogue with other cultural institutions and events in the region, Alexie will lead on pioneering initiatives including year-round commissioning and professional development programmes, strengthen Art Dubai Group’s international collaborations and champion the Gulf region’s dynamic art landscape on the world stage.
Dunja Gottweis, former Global Head of Gallery Relations at Art Basel, will become the Director of Art Dubai Fair, responsible for maintaining and building its position as the Gulf’s most significant international art gathering and a place of discovery for art from new geographies. In 2005 Dunja joined MAK, the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, in Vienna, executing regional and international projects and exhibitions to further strengthen the museum’s positioning as a pioneering space for art, design and architecture. Starting at Art Basel 12 years ago, Dunja worked her way up to become the Global Head of Gallery Relations and joined the Management Board of Art Basel in 2022. She has been responsible for overseeing engagement with galleries at Art Basel’s four fairs worldwide, enhancing existing relationships and fostering new ones along with diversifying the profile of the fairs and she played an integral role in the launch of Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Basel Paris.
Both new positions will be based in Dubai, working alongside the existing senior team: Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, who will focus on driving new business and corporate partnerships, and Art Dubai’s Artistic Director Pablo del Val, who will move to focus on creating international opportunities for the company. Benedetta and Pablo will deliver the 2025 edition of Art Dubai Fair (taking place from 18-20 April at Madinat Jumeirah), in advance of Dunja taking over the running of Art Dubai from its 2026 edition.
The new appointments come at a time when Art Dubai Group continues to build its profile regionally and expand internationally.
