The World Fellows

A leading expert in contemporary Arab art, Saleh Barakat founded the Agial Gallery in Beirut.  As the executive manager of the gallery, he has participated in building the world’s major collections of contemporary Arab art.  Possessing a strong business background in addition to his experience in the arts, Barakat has been engaged in developing an artistic quarter in Beirut, which he sees as a fundamental step in the creation of a healthy market environment for creative expression.  He curated several pan-Arab exhibitions, including the IXth Francophone Summit in Beirut and the 2003 World Bank Summit in Dubai.  He also collaborated on exhibitions with the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and the Kuntshalle Darmstadt.  Barakat helped to organize the first international auctions of twentieth century Arab art at Sotheby’s, Bonham’s, and Christie’s.  He serves on the steering committee of the Arts Center at the American University of Beirut and was a founding member of the Kinda Foundation, dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Arab artistic expression.

Post-fellowship:

In 2007, Barakat was the keynote speaker at the Global Art Forum in Dubai, hosted by the Dubai International Finance Centre, as part of an event on contemporary art in the Middle East over the next ten years. He also co-curated the first Lebanese Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in June 2007.

Watch video clip

Watch full interview