Encounter with Alia Matar Hilal, Art Consultant

Encounter with Alia Matar Hilal, Art Consultant

Alia Matar Hilal is an entrepreneur, both art consultant and owner of The Gallerist, an art space in Ashrafieh Beirut dedicated to promoting contemporary works from the Mena region.
 

What prompted you to become an art consultant and to open a gallery? How has your experience been so far?

I started as an art consultant in Dubai in 2004. The art scene in Dubai was still developing & I found a niche to an art consulting. I started creating shows for galleries and introducing Lebanese Artists to Dubai Art scene. I opened my gallery in 2008 when I moved back to Beirut. It has been an exciting & challenging experience.

What characteristics do you look for when determining the quality of an artwork?

I look for originality first and foremost when new artworks are chosen. On a daily basis, I continued to be surprised how the Middle Eastern Artists are becoming.

How has the art collecting field developed over the years in your eyes?

When I started in art consulting, people were scared about art collecting as they did not have enough knowledge about artworks investment, but now they become more familiar with this domain so the investors increased widely worldwide.

Can you point out some of the differences in tastes and preferences between Middle Eastern art collectors and Western collectors?

I still believe that Middle Eastern Artists are still not internationally collected enough. It is with the help of Art Fairs & Auction Houses that Middle Eastern Artists being shown on a new platform.