Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton is senior exhibition content manager at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts (supported by Van Cleef & Arpels) in Paris. A gemologist and art historian, she has published on the history of gems, curated gem and jewelry exhibitions, and co-organized the Precious Ornaments seminar with the Collège de France, overseeing its publications. She previously taught art history and gemology, is a member of the French Chamber of Specialized Experts (CNES) and has worked as a jewelry expert for auction houses.
Entisar Al Obeidli is the Curator at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and a PhD student in the Philosophy of History and Islamic Civilization. She holds a master’s degree in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage from the University of Sharjah (2023) and a Bachelor’s in Business Science Management from Ajman University (2008). With over 24 years of experience in museology, she specializes in museum operations, exhibition development, and cultural heritage preservation. Entisar has led numerous international exhibitions in collaboration with institutions such as the Benaki Museum, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, and Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. She is also a certified Elite museum professional across the GCC 2025, graduate of the SAWA Museum Academy and Reyada SMD Leadership Program 2017, and an active contributor to museum education and community-based heritage initiatives.
Faisal Alrais is an Emirati artist and photographer with degrees from Dubai and Milan, refines his creative voice through academic and artistic training. His work, showcased in numerous exhibitions, presents Emirati identity through a contemporary lens, earning him recognition as the "Best Young Artist" at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Faisal distinguishes himself by merging visual arts, photography, and contemporary philosophical thought, bridging Emirati heritage and modern aesthetics. He views art as a philosophy in motion, transforming unseen currents of thought into visible forms, and offering a mirror to existence where thought becomes light, whispering the essence of being. Some of his works will be featured in the "Poetry of Birds" exhibition, marking the first time they will be seen by the public.
Anne-Lise Tropato has a PhD in art history. She works at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD, United Arab Emirates) as a Humanities research and teaching fellow for the Arab world. Her main research interests focus on the artistic and cultural history of falconry; it investigates what our human relationship with birds of prey across time and culture reveals about the understanding and the definition of ourselves, our civilizations and our aspirations across a range of ethnic, religious, historical, and geographical differences. She created an academic interdisciplinary course for the cross-cultural exploration and analysis of falconry, which she teaches at NYUAD. She has also published on topics such as intellectual and cultural international relationships in Early Modern times, trans-frontier transmission of artistic models, the analysis of serial imagery, the history of visual imagery, and the history of great collections and collectors.
