Zeina Arida is the director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. A cultural activist in
the Arab world, addressing photography, archives, and modern and contemporary art,
Arida reopened the Sursock Museum in Beirut after a ten-year renovation and
expansion project, initiating local and international partnerships, presenting exhibitions,
public programs, and library and archives activities, turning the museum into a local and
international landmark. Following the damage caused by the Beirut blast on August 4,
2020, she raised 2.5 million dollars for the reconstruction of the building and the
restoration of the artwork. From 1997 to 2014, she was the director of the Arab Image
Foundation (AIF).
Arida provides expertise to international private and public institutions as well as
consultation to arts and culture organizations, artists, and projects. She is currently a
member of the Advisory Board of Darat al Funun, Amman, a member of the Arab Image
Foundation, Beirut, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Art Mill Museum
in Doha. She was a member of ICOM Lebanon executive bureau and is a board member of
CIMAM.
