PARTNER TALKS 2025

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

17 April
20 April

17 April

AUDITORIUM, MINA A’SALAM, ART DUBAI

2:30-3:30pm

BOOK LAUNCH OF +971: 50 EMIRATI CREATIVES SHAPING THE UAE
Visual Artist Asma Belhamar, and Designer Khalid Shafar. Moderated by Cultural Strategist and Editor, Myrna Ayad

This talk marks the launch of +971: 50 Emirati Creatives Shaping the UAE, edited by Myrna Ayad and published by Rizzoli. The first book of its kind to survey the country’s creative landscape, it offers an unprecedented look at the talents shaping the nation’s cultural identity and features 50 visionary Emirati creatives working across visual art, design, architecture, culinary arts, writing and literature, film, and performing arts and music. With a foreword by HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, +971 includes insightful essays by leading specialists working across various creative sectors in the UAE.

5:00-5:45pm

THE RISE OF ARAB ART: A CONVERSATION
Artist Historian and Gallery Owner Dr. Andrée Sfeir-Semler, Director Art Jameel Antonia Carver, and Director of Culture Programming Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Reem Fadda

Sfeir-Semler Gallery is launching, in celebration of its 40 years in Germany and 20 years in Lebanon, a publication on the development of the contemporary art scenes in the Arab world, which have experienced exponential growth and transformation since the 1990s. Join us for a conversation between Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel in Dubai and Jeddah; Reem Fadda, Director of the Cultural Foundation and Director of Culture Programming at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi; and Andrée Sfeir-Semler, Founder and Owner of Sfeir-Semler Gallery in Beirut and Hamburg, as they reflect on the fundamental shifts in the scene, discussing the components contributing to the establishment of the scene: artists, foundations and biennials, publications, art fairs, commercial art galleries, museums and institutions… looking back at their respective contributions and journeys.

6:00-7:00pm

CULTURAL GATEWAYS: MUMBAI & DUBAI AS CREATIVE CAPITALS
Founder & Chairperson, Avid Learning Mrs. Madhu Ruia; Contemporary Multi Media Artist, Owais Husain; Director, Alserkal Arts Foundation, Nada Raza. Moderated by SVP, Essar Group, CEO, Avid Learning and Curator, Royal Opera House, Mumbai Asad Lalljee

Mumbai and Dubai share a dynamic relationship—one shaped by deep historical ties, diasporic movements, and a shared vision of innovation. This panel will bring together influential voices from India and the UAE, including artists, curators, and cultural leaders, to examine how the exchange between these cities fuels creative ecosystems, economic opportunities, and artistic innovation. As the two cities stand at the intersection of tradition and modernity, serving as thriving hubs for contemporary art and technology-driven creativity, the discussion will shed light on how Mumbai and Dubai continue to shape the global narrative of South Asian and Middle Eastern art.

HUNA LOUNGE, ART DUBAI

6:00-7:00pm

BUILDING A COLLECTION WITH PURPOSE: ART AS AN INVESTMENT, LEGACY, AND STATEMENT
Varun Kaji, Akshay Chudasama and Iman Allana. Moderated by Editor, Apollo Edward Behrens

Art collectors often approach acquisitions with a sense of purpose, whether as personal legacy or cultural statements. This panel explores how collectors balance these factors, make thoughtful decisions, and ensure their collections reflect their values and aspirations.

7:30-8:30pm

HUNA TALKS: INTERSECTION BETWEEN ART, DESIGN, AND FASHION OVER TIME
Carl Gerges and Karine Tawil

20 April

AUDITORIUM, MINA A’SALAM, ART DUBAI

12:30-1:30pm

SHAPING PUBLIC REALMS: ART, CULTURE, AND LIVEABLE FUTURES
Conor Roche, Head of Culture and Entertainment, NEOM and Talib Choudhry, Head of Editorial Content, Architectural Digest Middle East

What makes a city truly liveable ? This panel explores the evolving concept of public realms and their role in shaping vibrant, inclusive communities. Through the lens of art and culture, the talk will explore how shared spaces can foster connection, creativity, and well-being—today and for generations to come. Join leading voices in urban development, art, and cultural strategy as we reimagine the future of livability in an ever-changing world.

1:30-2:30pm

13 VANAK: NON-GALLERY, NON-COMMERCIAL, UNDER THE RADAR, AND EXPERIMENTAL
Fereydoun Ave and Aria Kasaei. Moderated by Negar Azimi

Fereydoun Ave, one of Iran’s most famous cultural figures – a collector, curator, painter and sculptor, founded 13 Vanak St. in the early 1990s, a space he describes as a non-gallery, that is non-commercial, under the radar and experimental. The space, originally a small shop, evolved into an extension of a private artist studio before transforming into a public alternative space. Join Ave in this conversation to explore the role 13 Vanak St. played in both his practice and the wider cultural scene in Tehran.

CONTRIBUTOR’S BIOGRAPHIES

Daniel Felstead is an academic and content producer whose practice focuses on the relationship between the body, technology, and culture. He is the course leader of MA Fashion Media & Communication at the London College of Fashion (UAL). Daniel has spoken and exhibited internationally including Architectural Association, Berlin Critics Week, Fundació Foto Colectania, Global Art Forum, MAPS, ICA, PAF, RCA, RISD, Shedhalle, Transmediale, University of Applied Arts Vienna, and V&A Museum.

Cem A. is an artist with a background in anthropology. He is known for running the art meme page @freeze_magazine and for his site-specific installations. His work explores themes such as virality and performativity, often through collaborative projects. He has held lectures at Royal College of Art London, HEAD Geneva, KASK Ghent and Universität der Künste Berlin.

Primavera De Filippi is an artist and legal scholar at Harvard University, exploring the legal challenges of AI and blockchain technology. Her artistic practice instantiates the key findings of her research, creating AI-enhanced blockchain-based lifeforms that evolve and reproduce themselves as people feed them with cryptocurrencies.

Ania Soliman is an Egyptian/Polish/American artist who grew up in Baghdad and is currently based between Paris and New York. Her practice encompasses large-scale drawings and paintings derived from AI-generated imagery and archival material, extending into text, performance, video, and installation. Soliman’s research-based work explores cultural translation, examining how representations mediate our relationships with nature and technology.

Ben Cullen Williams is a London based artist, whose practice moves between mediums and modes of presentation. In his work, Williams explores the spectacle of human made alterations of our natural landscapes and corporeal world through various lenses and technological devices. He has collaborated with Sir Wayne McGregor, Polar Explorer Robert Swan and Google Arts and Culture and MIT Media Lab amongst others.

Sofia Crespo is an Argentine artist based in Lisbon, Portugal, whose practice explores the convergence of artificial intelligence and biological systems. Working as part of the artistic duo Entangled Others with Norwegian artist Feileacan Kirkbride McCormick, she investigates how organic life and artificial mechanisms simulate and evolve each other. Her work examines humanity’s evolving relationship with technology across time, drawing connections between historical innovations like microscopes and cameras that transformed our understanding of reality, to contemporary neural networks that reshape how we process and interpret complex patterns.

Ferdi Alici has been director and new media artist of the Ouchhh Studio for more than 15 years. Ouchhh Studio stands as a leading force in the realm of creative new media, boasting over a decade of unparalleled innovation in the intersection of art, science, and technology. This global studio has carved a niche in pioneering data-driven art forms, including data paintings and sculptures. Their unique methodology merges technological exploration with a deep understanding of the enigmatic roots of art, science, and technology, crafting a vision that’s decidedly futuristic.

Alexandra Payne is the Director of Creative and Content at Outernet London, the UK’s Number one Cultural and Entertainment destination. Since launching in 2022 she has commissioned and worked with artists and institutions such as The Serpentine, The Tate, D’strict, Digital Artweek and launched world class immersive experiences such as The Butterfly Trail.
With her experience spanning the media landscape, she works closely with brands to help them utilise emerging technology to create immersive, engaging experiences that create impact.

Krista Kim, author of the *Techism Manifesto* (2014), is a visionary artist merging AI, immersive tech, and blockchain to explore digital consciousness. Renowned for *Mars House*, *Continuum* in Times Square, *Mirror of the Mind* at the Sphere Las Vegas, and *Heart Space* AI biometric installation, she pioneers the future of art, humanizing emerging technology through sublime, transformative experiences.