Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Appoints Valerie Hillings as Its First Director
The former Guggenheim curator returns to Abu Dhabi to oversee the museum's inaugural exhibitions and long-term vision.
Dr. Valerie Hillings has been appointed the first Director of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, where she will lead the museum's strategic direction, oversee its inaugural exhibitions and public programmes, and guide the institution ahead of its opening in Saadiyat Cultural District.
Appointed by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Hillings will oversee a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art from the 1960s to the present. Designed by Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will join Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi within the emirate's cultural district.
Hillings is no stranger to the project. Between 2009 and 2018, she served as Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, working with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi on the museum's collection strategy, acquisitions, pre-opening programming and the development of the Frank Gehry-designed building. Before that, she spent five years on the Guggenheim's curatorial team in New York.
"I am honoured to return to Abu Dhabi to complete the once-in-a-lifetime journey of founding and opening Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a museum developed in the United Arab Emirates by colleagues from both the region and around the world," Hillings said. "I look forward to welcoming local and global audiences... and inviting them to explore points of interconnection and unique stories through the lens of art from the 1960s to our time."
Since 2018, Hillings has served as Director of the North Carolina Museum of Art, where she led the redesign of its permanent collection galleries, oversaw the acquisition of around 400 artworks, and helped increase annual attendance to 1.2 million visitors. Upon opening, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will house 30 galleries across 11,600 square metres of indoor exhibition space, alongside 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition areas, supporting exhibitions, commissions, research and public programmes.
