My Art Guide Dubai/Sharjah/Abu Dhabi 2019 Editorial Committee
My Art Guide Dubai/Sharjah/Abu Dhabi 2019 is a paper and digital issue dedicated to Sharjah Biennial, Art Dubai fair and the art week in Dubai, available online and on iOS and Android app. This new edition has been developed thanks to an incredible editorial committee formed by Nina Heydemann (Director of Maraya Art Centre and 1971 – Design Space), Shobha Pia Shamdsani, (Executive Director of UAE Unlimited) and Lana Shamma (Senior Manager, Public Programmes at Art Jameel).
The committee has been working to select the best and most interesting art spaces and exhibitions in town.
Dr. Nina Heydemann is currently the director of the Maraya Art Centre and the 1971 -Design Space in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Established in 2010, the Maraya Art Centre is a non-profit art space that is also home to the Maraya Video Archive and the Maraya Art Park. The 1971-Design Space, launched in Sharjah in 2015, is a non-profit platform for local as well as international designers and houses the1971 -Design Store. Before her appointment, Dr. Nina Heydemann worked as theSenior Manager –Visual Arts heading the Department of Visual Arts at the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in Abu Dhabi from 2014-2018. She received her PhD degree in Art History from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and the University College London (UCL), United Kingdom. Her dissertation “The Art of Quotation. Forms and Themes of theArt Quote, 1990-2010”, examinesinter-pictorial referentiality of contemporary artworks. Previously, she worked as an exhibition manager for the Deutsche Bank Art Collection in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Dr. Nina Heydemann studied Art History and Cultural Sciences at the University of Leipzig, the Università Ca’ Foscari Venice and Venice International University, Italy. She was awarded scholarships from the University of Leipzig, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes).
Art Advisor to His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Shobha Pia Shamdsani is also the co-founder of UAE Unlimited – a satellite art platform that supports emerging Emirati and UAE-based artists. Shamdsani has been the platform’s Executive Director since its inception in 2015, and has overseen the successful development and realization of four exhibitions under its auspices. She continues to work closely with HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan to put into effect the organization’s mission, and to widen its scope. As the art advisor to HH Sh Zayed bin Sultan, she carries complete directing responsibility over all aspects of his private collection. In this capacity, she has collaborated with HH Sh Zayed bin Sultan in building an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art from the Middle East and South Asia. Shamdasani’s experience in the visual arts has also often translated into an engagement with large-scale sumptuous interior design projects in Abu Dhabi, where she worked closely with artisan painters, craftsmen, and engineers at various stages of the design and construction process. With experience in London, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, Shamdsani’s art and culture interests have been shaped by a very diverse set of influences. She remains connected to the international art community through a continual engagement with biennials and art fairs on the global stage.
Lana Shamma’s focus is on the development of programmes and partnerships that engage a broad public, often outside of the gallery setting, including Art Jameel Commissions. Previously, Lana worked in management and outreach at Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. With a Masters in Public Diplomacy, her Fulbright Grant led her to research film partnerships between Jordan and the USA.
