Art Dubai Group has announced two senior appointments to its leadership team as it continues to build its profile in the region and expand internationally. 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 Glass-Kantor’s focus will be 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. With responsibility for leading on pioneering initiatives, including year-round commissioning and professional development programmes, Alexie will further strengthen Art Dubai Group’s international collaborations, championing the Gulf region’s dynamic art landscape on the world stage and working in close dialogue with other cultural institutions and events in the region. Alexie brings extensive senior experience to the role, having served as Executive Director of Artspace (2013–2024), where she led a transformative multi-million-dollar redevelopment, creating a state-of-the-art facility and establishing the Sydney-based institution as a global hub for residencies and international collaborations. Her curatorial achievements include Marco Fusinato’s DESASTRES for the Australian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), Curator for Encounters at Art Basel Hong Kong (2015–2025), and major exhibitions such as co-curator of Parallel Collisions: 12th Adelaide Biennial of Contemporary Art for the Art Gallery of South Australia (2012) and ??? ?????? UN/LEARNING AUSTRALIA at Seoul Museum of Art (2021). Alexie will take up her new role in April 2025.
Dunja Gottweis will become Fair Director for Art Dubai which, since its founding in 2007, remains the Gulf’s most significant international art gathering and a place of discovery for art from new geographies. Dunja brings two decades of experience, having lived in Europe, Asia and the US and having worked extensively within the international art world. 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. With the support of the existing Art Dubai team, Dunja’s global experience, management skills, gallery and art world relations will bring fresh impetus and renewed vigour in leading the Art Dubai Fair into its third decade.
Both new positions will be based in Dubai, working alongside the exceptional 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.
Ben Floyd, Co- Founder and CEO of the Art Dubai Group, says of the appointments:
” As we look to grow our mandate and as the cultural scene in this region continues to mature, these two new positions are a game-changer for the company. Dunja’s deep understanding and experience of working in the global art world and her focus on leading and developing the fair, will truly enhance our flagship annual art event. Alexie brings an exceptional range of world class curatorial expertise, leadership experience and a visionary approach to this new role of Executive Director, Curatorial. I am confident their respective skills and experience will complement Benedetta and Pablo’s, and that together they can continue to build on the growth that has marked our last decade and expand Art Dubai Group’s impact in the contemporary art world.”
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About
Alexie Glass-Kantor is a curator and arts advocate. She has curated across independent spaces, museums, biennials, and festivals since 2000.
As Executive Director of Artspace, Sydney (2013–2024), she oversaw a $19.8 million (Australian) redevelopment that transformed the institution into a state-of-the-art hub for residencies, exhibitions, research, public art, and international collaborations. Her tenure included partnerships with Palais de Tokyo (France), Dhaka Art Summit (Bangladesh), and Seoul Museum of Art (South Korea).
Alexie curated Marco Fusinato’s DESASTRES for the Australian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), a critically acclaimed durational performance work. From 2015 to 2025, she has curated Encounters, the large-scale installation sector at Art Basel Hong Kong, commissioning landmark projects by international artists such as Awol Erizku and Daniel Boyd. Major exhibitions include co-curating Parallel Collisions: 12th Adelaide Biennial of Contemporary Art (2012) and ??? ?????? UN/LEARNING AUSTRALIA at Seoul Museum of Art (2021).
She has collaborated on co-commissions with Performa (New York), Institute of Contemporary Art (London), Ocean Space and TBA-21 (Venice), and Art Sonje (Seoul), among others, while conceiving the ground breaking Instagram commissioning project 52 ARTISTS 52 ACTIONS (2017 and 2020), later published by Thames & Hudson.
Alexie serves on boards including the Advisory Council, MCAD Manila, and the Barbican Podium Curatorial Committee. She is a graduate of the University of New South Wales, holding a Bachelor of Art History & Theory (Honours).
Dunja Gottweis studied International Business Administration at the University of Vienna and at Università Ca Foscari in Venice and entered the art world in 2005 at MAK (Austrian Museum of Applied Arts) in Vienna where she worked closely with the Director of the museum executing both regional and international projects and exhibitions, further strengthening the museum’s positioning as a space for art, design and architecture. She joined Art Basel in 2012 and has since worked in Basel and Hong Kong before relocating to New York in 2018.
Dunja Gottweis was originally appointed as Regional Head of Gallery Relations for the Americas for Art Basel. She was instrumental in serving the gallery community for Art Basel’s fair in Miami Beach, strengthening key relationships with galleries across the Americas and beyond. During her tenure Art Basel has launched fairs in Hong Kong and Paris and Dunja has taken a lead role in developing global initiatives. She has fostered connections with galleries and collectors in Europe, Asia and the US, always putting galleries and their artists at the centre of every decision.
In 2024 she was promoted to the new role Global Head of Gallery Relations, joined the Management Board of Art Basel and has been responsible for managing engagement with all galleries participating in Art Basel’s four fairs worldwide.
