Multiple Worlds

An exclusive interview with Yana Peel, CEO at Serpentine Galleries.

- Nadya Wang

Among Serpentine Galleries’ many projects, a recent highlight is the exhibition ‘Zaha Hadid: Early Paintings and Drawings’, the first created by Chief Executive Officer Yana Peel – who took on the position in April last year – together with Serpentine’s long-time curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. In March, the show travels to Hong Kong as ‘Zaha Hadid: There Should Be No End to Experimentation’, in a collaboration with Swire Properties and Zaha Hadid Design, and will be on show at ArtisTree at Taikoo Place from 17 March to 6 April.

Art Republik spoke with Yana Peel about her career, the plans she has for Serpentine Galleries, the art scenes in London and Hong Kong, and Zaha Hadid’s legacy.

You’ve said in an interview that this your dream job. What do you love so far in the job, and what have been challenges that you have had to meet head on?

I am very excited about bringing in multiple worlds and working with the most exciting artists across visual arts, architecture and design. For me, the highlight has certainly been this first exhibition that Hans Ulrich and I created together, and it has really been in bringing her spirit forward, that there should be no end to experimentation, working with her family, working with the architect Zaha Hadid, working with the technologists at Google Cultural Institute, and really realising this future reality, so that has been incredibly meaningful.

The upcoming issue of Art Republik is the ‘Crossover’ issue, where we look at how art pushes boundaries and relates to fashion, music, film and architecture. What do you think about the cross-fertilisations that seem to be increasingly taking place in today’s art world?