CV

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Amal Khalaf is a professional curator with extensive experience in curating art exhibitions and managing cultural programs. With a passion for showcasing emerging artists and fostering creativity, Amal has curated impactful exhibitions and led diverse cultural initiatives across the globe.

Skills

Work Experience

6/2025-5/2026

Curator, Bawwaba programme and Bawwaba Extended

Curated solo presentations of newly produced works by emerging to mid-career artists. Managed large scale commissions across public spaces as part of the Bawwaba Extended programme.

2023-2025

Curator, Sharjah Biennial 16

Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE 20023-2025Curated the 16th edition of the Sharjah biennial ‘to carry’, alongside Natasha Ginwala, Alia Swastika, Megan Tamati-Querrel and Zeynep Oz. Under the project Title Throwing Shells, managed, developed and fundraised for 24 new large scale commissions and 30 artist presentations including exhibitions within exhibitions, several moving image works and vinyl publications, two installations have been nominated for awards such as the Turner Prize and Jarman award. In addition to curating the biennial, curated two public symposia, March Meetings and April Acts. Artists included: Adelita Husni-Bey, Monira Al Qadiri, Stephanie Comilang, Nasser Al Yousif, Cecile B Evans and Suzanne Lacy amongst many others.

9/19-Present

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES

Cubitt, LondonReporting to the Board of Trustees I oversee all aspects of Cubitt's programme, operations, communications and finances, focusing on audience development and inclusion, civic engagement, curatorial excellence and developing new platforms for education and outreach. Achievements include: successfully launching a new Curatorial fellowship with a focus on interdisciplinary practice, integrating outreach and curatorial teams, radically shifting the demographic of staff and audiences, streamlining financial management and successfully retaining ACE NPO status for two consecutive rounds of funding. Managing a budget of £400K+.• Managing a team of 11 across Curatorial, Education, Operations, Finances. Communications and Fundraising, overseeing a total of 25 exhibitions and several offsite commissions and residencies.• Establishing the new Civic Fellowship alongside Curatorial fellowship and annual Goldsmiths Curatorial residencies• Boosted funding streams by 250% securing multi-year foundation grants and innovation through fundraising exhibition and membership scheme.• Oversee completion of annual Business Plan and four-year strategy• Revamped website, brand and interpretive materials, yielding an increase in amendance despite lockdowns and 40% social media growth and favourable media coverage.

CURATOR AT LARGE, PUBLIC PRACTICE 1/24 - 4/25

CIVIC CURATOR 9/19 -11/23

PROJECTS CURATOR 3/13-9/19

ASSISTANT CURATOR 9 /09-2/13

SERPENTINE, LONDON

Reporting to the Artistic Director, I oversee all collaborative commissions, civic partnerships and multi-year residences, as well as feeding into annual strategy for Serpentine Business Plan. Managing a budget of £600K+ I lead a team of three delivering innovative, leading artistic commissions in the public realm working with over 75+ artists, academics and architects with a wide range of outcomes from large scale outdoor festivals, exhibitions, films, publications and performances, Key programmes include Radio Ballads, Edgware Road Project, Rights to the City and Skills Exchange programmes. In 2021, developed and delivered Serpentine's inaugural Support Structures for Support Structures £100,000 fellowship programme supporting artists working at the intersection of art, spatial politics and community practice and in 2022 launched the exhibition Radio Ballads featuring work by Sonia Boyce, Helen Cammock, Rory Pilgrim and Ilona Sagar.

Coordinated an international residency programme between London, Cairo and Beirut working wioth Townhouse, Cairo and Ashkal Alwan.
Devised installations, exhibitions, programmes and publications with 100+ contributors across London, UK, Beirut and Cairo and various offsite venues and onsite at the Serpentine
Initiated artist projects in partnership with the Mayors Office, London and running an artist residency in six cities as part of Bloomberg Cities.
Curated 7 exhibitions at the Serpentine and delivered 4 symposia, as well as working no delivery of 9 Serpentine Marathons.

6/22-6/24

ADVISOR

Horizon Art Residency/Outland, LA

Advisory for artist selection for Los Angeles based Horizon Artist Residency as part of Outland's public programmes.

11/18-11/19

CURATOR OF BAHRAIN IN VENICE

Art Bahrain/Venice Biennale

Curated 'The Wait' an exhibiOon of historical work and site-specific contemporary commissions by Bahraini arOsts. Managed a producOon team based in Italy and Bahrain, to produce three new commissions in a group exhibiOon that took place as part of Venice Biennale 2019.

1/14-12/17

COMMISSIONING EDITOR

Ibraaz, London

Selecting, commissioning and managing the production of artists' projects for the online journal Ibraaz, a leading critical forum on visual culture in North Africa and the Middle East.

3/15-4/16

CO-DIRECTOR GLOBAL ART FORUM

Art Dubai, UAE

Managed the tenth ediOon of the Global Art Forum, a five-day public programme which took place in London's ICA and in Dubai. The Forum explored the ways in which arOsts, writers, technologists, historians, musicians and thinkers have imagined, and are shaping, the future. Titled The Future Was, the 2016 Global Art Forum was co-directed alongside anthropologist Uzma Rizvi and commissioner Shumon Basar.

Education

2008

MA Contemporary Art

Goldsmiths, University of London

2003

BA Film & Communication

University of Leeds

2007-08

Chevening Scholar

The British Council

Interests

Amal Khalaf is passionate about promoting cultural exchange, supporting emerging artists, and exploring new artistic expressions. In her free time, she enjoys visiting art galleries, attending cultural events, and engaging with diverse creative communities.

Trusteeships

Skulptur Projekte Munster 2027

Advisor, since 2025

Art Night

Chair of the Board of Trustees

London, since 2021

Mophradat

Trustee
Athens, since 2022

Not/nowhere

Trustee
London, since 2019

Dartington Trust

Advisory Board Member

Devon, since 2021

CERII Anglia Ruskin University
Advisory Board Member

London, since 2019

Arts Catalyst

Advisory Board Member

London, 2017-2019

The Crossway Foundation

Trustee
London/Jeddah, 2014-2018

Juries

Circa Art Prize Curators Circle

Jarman Award

London 2021

Ithra Art Prize Saudi Arabia

2021

Mophradat Grants Belgium/ Athens
2017, 2018

References

HANS ULRICH OBRIST

Artistic Director Serpentine, London

SALLY TALLANT

President Queens Museum, NY

JANNA GRAHAM

Course Leader, Visual Cultures Goldsmiths, London