Munira Al Sayegh: Curating From the Ground Up

For Emirati curator and cultural instigator Munira Al Sayegh, whose work speaks to bridging curation that feels both intimate and expansive, grassroots initiatives are her bread and butter. Based in Abu Dhabi, she founded the Dirwaza Curatorial Lab, an incubator that dissects the practice of putting together an exhibition, uplifting others to enter the world of art and curation in rooted and communal ways.  

Al Sayegh cites her family background as key to shaping her work today. “The merge between the endless tales told to me as a kid by my uncle as well as my mum’s constant appreciation of art later turned into the marriage that inspired my practice and continues to underpin everything I do” she explains.

Deeply inspired by the lived realities around her, the curator’s creative fuel are the dynamic conversations and intimate experiences that make up their everyday life. Her practice has evolved from the social and physical world that surrounds her, connected to the sea and Abu Dhabi community alike. Her creative juices, she says, continue to flow because her process is simple: “Active seeing. Active questioning. Active listening. Active reading. Active curiosity. Active writing.” 

As a cultural instigator, Al Sayegh spent much of her career working with institutions to build projects that elevated her home region and the artists within and, in that process, realised that there was a gap that needed bridging. Despite art being a universal language, there weren’t enough people empowered to platform this work. There was a need for cultivating curatorial practices that honestly reflect the changing local creative landscape—and Dirwaza Curatorial Lab was born.   

For Al Sayegh, curation and platforming works best with an organic approach, starting from the roots and building upwards. She hopes that the regional art scene grows from its interconnected history, its ability to be a connecting space for others and “canonise its own history in a manner that deepens contemporary cultural relationships.” Musing on the importance of her work, she admits, “It’s exhausting to be on the other end of cultural practitioners that parachute in and out of the region, with minimal intentions to it.” 

Meaningful storytelling, she asserts, is the key to cultivate real growth—you must plant the seeds, nurture them, watch them grow. Come together to ensure that growth is happening sustainably, and then share the fruits of your labour. Through disruptive art, thoughtful curation, and a community she holds dear, Al Sayegh is doing just that, pioneering the region to view itself and its community as fundamental to its storytelling.