Open Stage Talk—Preservation in the Private Sphere: Patronage as Civic Responsibility

In a city rapidly establishing itself as a global cultural hub, private collectors play a vital role in preserving and interpreting Dubai’s evolving artistic identity. In this conversation, Benedetta Ghione and Michael Fournier reflect on what it means to collect and care for culture within the context of Dubai’s ambitious, multicultural landscape. Using the Dubai Collection as a case study, they examine how collecting can move beyond ownership toward stewardship, accessibility, and collaboration, transforming private collections into shared cultural resources that support research, education, and the next generation of artists and audiences.