Dubai Culture and Arts Authority Dubai Culture explored opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange with cultural institutions in Vienna during its official delegation visit to Austria. The programme offered insights into museum and library management, performing and contemporary arts, talent development, collection management and audience engagement, supporting the Authority’s efforts to advance Dubai’s cultural and creative sector.
The delegation included Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture; Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, Director of the Emerging Arts Department; Ahlam Al Bannai, Director of Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and Acting Director of the Visual Arts Department; and Sara Saleh Al Pachachi, Senior Project Manager in the Corporate Communication and Marketing Department.
At DSCHUNGEL WIEN, a co-production house for independent performing arts for young audiences, the delegation learned how children, teenagers and young adults participate in the creative process across performance, puppetry and music theatre. The visit also examined programmes supporting emerging talent, including Next Generation, MAGMA and the digital stage GL!TCH4. These initiatives offered perspectives on enabling younger generations to help shape cultural experiences through creative practice, workshops and participation throughout the year.
The Dubai Culture delegation also visited the PARALLEL Vienna 2026 art fair, which was hosted across a group of historic buildings within the Otto Wagner Areal. Formerly used as a medical complex and hospital, the site is currently undergoing redevelopment and repurposing to accommodate a range of cultural, artistic and educational activities. The fair brought together galleries, independent art initiatives, institutions and artists, showcasing contemporary artworks and artistic practices that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of Vienna’s creative scene.
At the Austrian National Library, whose history spans more than 650 years, the delegation explored approaches to collecting, preserving, documenting and providing access to intellectual and cultural heritage. The visit highlighted the library’s role in supporting research and widening access to knowledge, as well as its work to present documentary heritage to contemporary audiences.
The programme also included the ALBERTINA Museum, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary. The delegation toured MONET TO PICASSO: The Batliner Collection, tracing developments in modern art from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism through to Picasso, and COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE: 250 Years of the ALBERTINA Museum. The latter examines the collection’s history since 1776, the motivations behind collecting and how historic collections can continue to evolve.
Other exhibitions visited included HELGA PHILIPP: Spaces of Movement, exploring geometric abstraction, perception and movement; THE WORLD IN FOCUS, examining travel and expedition photography and its role in documenting the world; and OTTO MEETS ALBERTINA, placing works from the museum’s Graphic Art Collection in dialogue with popular visual culture.
At ALBERTINA MODERN, the delegation explored approaches to presenting modern, postmodern and contemporary art, connecting different generations of artists and engaging audiences. The visit included KAWS: ART & COMIX, which examines the relationship between comics, cartoons, popular visual culture and fine art, and VASARELY & ADRIAN: Dynamic Grids. The latter explores optical phenomena, perception, geometry, movement and light, alongside connections to international avant-garde movements and early computer art.
The delegation also visited the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts to learn about its integration of applied arts, design, architecture and contemporary art. The visit highlighted how the museum brings historical collections into dialogue with contemporary perspectives while responding to developments in the cultural sector and evolving audience interests.
Through these engagements, Dubai Culture gained perspectives to inform its future programmes, strengthen institutional expertise, and create opportunities for cultural exchange. The visit supports the Authority’s commitment to developing Dubai’s cultural and creative ecosystem and reinforcing the emirate’s position as a global cultural reference, a leader in innovation, a driver of the creative economy, and rooted in Emirati heritage.
