About

Dr. Al-Senussi is a founding member of the Tate’s Acquisitions Committee for the Middle East and North Africa, the Board of 1:54 The African Art Fair, and the Middle East Circle of the Guggenheim. Amongst other positions, Dr Al-Senussi is Founding Co-Chair of the LACMA Global Ambassadors, Chair of the K11 International Council and a member of the Tate Modern Advisory Council, the board of the ICA London, the Serpentine Future Contemporaries and the Strategic Advisory Council of Delfina Foundation. Dr Al-Senussi is Senior Advisor, International Outreach and the VIP Representative for the United Kingdom, as well as the Middle East and North Africa, for Art Basel and a Senior Advisor to the Saudi Ministry of Culture focusing on work with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.  Dr Al-Senussi is a visiting professor at VCU Qatar and is a regular lecturer at universities worldwide, such as St Andrews and Brown.

Since 2016, Alberto Cavalli is Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship and General Director of the non-for-profit institution’s cultural event Homo Faber Biennial. He has been General Director of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte since 2007. For both foundations, Alberto works tirelessly to value, celebrate and preserve master craftsmanship and share its beauty globally, through numerous projects, from apprenticeships to exhibitions, such as Doppia Firma and Mirabilia. His interest in fine craftsmanship has resulted in his co-curation of several publications: Mestieri d’arte e Made in Italy. Giacimenti culturali da riscoprire (2009), Artefici di bellezza (2013) and by Il Valore del mestiere (2014). It has also led him to research and stand as a visiting professor at the Creative Academy in Milan and to teach at Milan’s Polytechnic University. An advocate of handcrafted, authentic objects, Alberto is also a member of the Centre du Luxe et de la Création (Paris), of the Cultural Committee of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (Geneva) and is Vice President of the Noema Association for the promotion of musical culture (Milan). Alberto started his career in fashion working for a Milanese PR Agency, going on to join the Dolce & Gabbana International Press Office where he worked as Press Office Manager. Working in tandem as a researcher at the University and as a journalist, which resulted in his appointment as Lifestyle and Luxury Goods Correspondent at Vedomosti in 2007. Throughout his varied career, Alberto Cavalli has been impassioned by the fine craftsmanship behind luxury pieces, today he strives to make its recognition, a cultural and economic necessity.

From 1996 to 2003 he served as director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. From 2003 to 2011 he was the director of the Haus der Kunst in Munchen He was appointed director of the Tate Modern in 2011 where he stays till 2016. He was then appointed general director of the Volksbuhne Berlin from 2017 until 2018. From 2019 to 2023 he was the president of the Association of French National Museums-Grand Palais where he oversaw the renovation of the Grand Palais. He became Managing Director of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in June of 2023. Chris Dercon worked in many occasions with architects, industrial designers and textile artists.

In addition to his work at Delfina, Aaron has curated exhibitions and performances at institutions including Hayward Gallery Project Space, SongEun Artspace, ArtBo, and Art Dubai. He co-curated performances at the 58th Venice Biennale and frequently moderates panels at major art fairs like Art Basel, Frieze, and Art Brussels. His writing has appeared in The Art Newspaper, Harper’s Bazaar, and ArtAsiaPacific. He also co-edited Politics of Food, a book inspired by a Delfina programme.

Aaron advises institutions such as Asymmetry Art Foundation and Kunsthalle Praha and sits on boards and committees for initiatives like Dhaka Art Summit and Alserkal Avenue. He has served on numerous award juries, including the Turner Prize (2021) and Korea Art Prize (2023). Before Delfina, he held leadership roles at Metal and contributed to cultural initiatives for London 2012, among others.

Among the projects under DBF are JAX District, Al Madar, and the AlMusalla Prize. JAX is a creative district that transformed an industrial heritage site into a hub for artists, galleries, and cultural institutions. Al Madar fosters global dialogue between institutions with significant Islamic art collections worldwide. The AlMusalla Prize is an international architecture competition reimagining modular, sustainable spaces for prayer. This breadth of experience across institutions, disciplines, and communities defines Aya's approach and her role within the global cultural landscape.