DUBAI: The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has appointed Valerie Hillings as the inaugural director of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, marking a major milestone in the development of the highly anticipated cultural institution.
Located within Saadiyat Cultural District, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is set to become a key part of the UAE capital’s expanding cultural landscape, joining institutions including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.
In her new role, Hillings will oversee the museum’s strategic direction, inaugural exhibitions and programs, with a focus on establishing an institution rooted in Abu Dhabi while connecting audiences globally. The museum aims to celebrate modern and contemporary art from the 1960s to the present, while fostering cross-cultural dialogue and creative exchange.
Hillings brings extensive experience with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, having previously served as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s curator and associate director of curatorial affairs for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project from 2009 to 2018. During that time, she worked closely with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi on the museum’s collection strategy, acquisitions, pre-opening programming and the development of its Frank Gehry-designed building.
She also spent five years on the Guggenheim’s curatorial staff in New York before taking on the role of director of the North Carolina Museum of Art in 2018. During her tenure there, she led the transformation of its permanent collection galleries, expanded the collection by around 400 works and oversaw a rise in annual attendance to 1.2 million visitors.
Hillings holds a doctorate and M.A. in art history and archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, as well as a B.A. in art history from Duke University, specializing in modern and contemporary art.
She said in a statement, “I am honored 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. I look forward to welcoming local and global audiences to the magnificent Frank Gehry-designed building and inviting them to explore points of interconnection and unique stories through the lens of art from the 1960s to our time.”
The museum will feature 30 galleries spanning 11,600 sq. meters of interior exhibition space, along with 23,000 sq. meters of outdoor exhibition areas, creating one of the world’s most significant platforms for modern and contemporary art when it opens.
