Dalya Islam, Founder
Dalya is an advisor in Contemporary art with a specialist knowledge of middle-eastern art. An art historian by discipline she began her career at Sotheby’s Auction House in London in 2003 as a specialist and went on to become Director of the Middle East Department.
Since establishing Madder Red Dalya has advised collectors from all over the world including Europe, America, Turkey, the Middle East and India, on international contemporary art. Her advice has directed collectors towards painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video. Dalya has also advised privately on museum collections and curates exhibitions for institutions and galleries.
Dalya’s advice has been sought by commercial ventures on establishing and expanding their business and she continues to grow Madder Red within the private and public sectors.
As an expert in the field Dalya has been interviewed by numerous publications and news broadcasting agencies with regard to the field, including BBC World, The Economist, The Financial Times, Contemporary Practices and Monocle to name a few. She has been invited to participate in panel discussions and has presented lectures on a range of topics from aspects of the art market to the history of collecting; a few of the institutions that have invited Dalya to participate in their educational programmes are Sotheby’s Institute (London), Athr Gallery (Jeddah), The Abu Dhabi Art Fair (Abu Dhabi), Pharos Art Fund (Cairo), Art Talks (Cairo) and ArtTactic (London). She has also been invited to nominate artists for the Sovereign European Art Prize.
Madder Red by Dalya Islam was launched in 2012, an independent art consultancy and advisory service, serving the local and international community with an interest in the arts and particularly in middle-eastern art.
Paula Neubauer, Curator
Paula Neubauer is working on a major museum show with Madder Red as co-Curator with Dalya Islam. Paula received an MPhil in Contemporary Art History from the University of Glasgow and a Masters in Art History from the University of the State of Sao Paulo. Her thesis on South American Constructivist Art was published by UNESP University Press and is being edited for commercial release by Brazil’s leading arts publisher Cosac Naify.
In 2010, Paula was appointed Coordinator of The Artistic-Cultural Collection of the Governmental Palaces of the State of Sao Paulo for the collection of Palacio Boa Vista, Campos do Jordao. She was responsible for the permanent collection at the Palacio Boa Vista and simultaneously produced a number of external exhibitions collaborating with other museums of the Artistic-Cultural Collection including the following exhibitions Editorial, Valdir Cruz – Fotografias:Sinfonia de um Viajante, Oratorios – Arte e Devocao, Viagem a Campos and Tasila em Familia.
She was a key figure in the production of the first Graffiti Fine Arts Biennial of Sao Paulo in 2011, assisting with the curation and implementation of the Biennial.
In 2012 Paula delivered a paper at Oxford University at the PILAS Conference [Post Graduates in Latin American Studies] entitled: Modernity and Art, the Constructivist Vocation in Latin America in the 1950s and its Enduring Legacy.
Isabel Sachs, Project Manager
As Project Manager at Madder Red, Isabel is working on a major museum show with Dalya Islam and Paula Neubauer as Assistant Curator. Isabel has over nine years of experience as a cultural producer with particular experience in Performance and Music. Born in Brazil, graduated in International Affairs at PUC-SP and has an MA in Culture, Policy and Management, at City University, with a dissertation on curatorial practices of performing arts. In London, Isabel tailored her experience working at LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) and at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Isabel has produced major events and productions with her own company EUFORIA, producing over 100 concerts, six plays and music festivals such as Red Bull Technostalgia at Lollapalooza and Converse Rubbertracks Festival. EUFORIA has been awarded some of the most important recognitions in the industry, such as the Shell Theatre Prize, , Natura Musical Award, the Italo Rossi Award and the APCA (Sao Paulo Critics Association)
Isabela Herig, Exhibitions Coordinator
Isabela is Exhibitions Coordinator for commercial exhibitions at Madder Red, she is currently enrolled in a BA in History of Art with a particular focus on the Middle East and East Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Prior to joining Madder Red as Exhibition Coordinator Isabela worked as a freelance photographer for three years. Her interest in visual communication led her to study Graphic Design in addition to Fine Arts. Isabela was born and raised in Brazil and her interest in Asian art and culture was inspired by her travels throughout the region.