Guiding and Directing
Dr. Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Honorary Chairman
Dr. Piotrovsky has served as the Director of the State Hermitage Museum since 1992. Dr. Piotrovsky graduated with honors from the Oriental Faculty of Leningrad State University, specializing in Arabic Studies in 1967 He also attended Cairo University from 1965 to 1966. He worked and did further studies at the Leningrad branch Institute for Oriental Studies from 1967 until 1991 before joining the Hermitage staff. In his various capacities, Dr. Piotrovsky has taken part in archeological excavations in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Yemen. He has authored more than 200 scholarly works, and is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Arts.
Mr. Amir G. Kabiri, President
Mr. Kabiri is the President of the M.T. Abraham Foundation, which is part of the M.T. Abraham Groups S.A., and developed its cultural activities together with international museums and institutions. He is the publisher of the Art newspaper Israel, which provides news service about the art world, fed by its network editions in London, Moscow, New York, Beijing and Paris. He acts as Consultant on international cultural programs in Israel, Europe and China to several official institutions. He took an active part in the organisation of numerous exhibitions of art worldwide. He co-directed the publication Selling Russia’s Treasures – dealing with how the Soviets traded away their nation’s art, including works of art drawn from the collections of the Hermitage Museum, With the collaboration of the Lissitzky Committee in Novosibirsk, and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, Mr. Kabiri is managing the publication of El Lissitzky’s “catalogue raisonné”. As part of “Tel Aviv Days in St. Petersburg”, a cultural event led by the Israeli General Consulate in St. Petersburg, Mr. Kabiri supported the events on behalf of the Hermitage Museum Foundation Israel. Also, as part of the State Hermitage Museum 250th anniversary events in Israel, with the collaboration of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, he headed “Dada and Surrealism” exhibition, from the Israel Museum.
Mr. Isaac M. Tamir, Treasurer
Mr. Tamir has been acting as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the M.T. Abraham Foundation since 2004. Mr. Tamir’s main business activities in the 1970s and 1980s were in fur merchandising, grading, valuation and attending auctions as well as managing commodities businesses including but not limited to looking after their finances and supporting in making financial decisions, developing strategies for overseas financing, assessment and valuation etc. amongst other interests, in the past 15 years Mr. Tamir has broadened his activities into the real estate spectrum for which he is active to this day. Mr. Tamir is the Chairman of the Hermitage Museum Foundation Israel.
Mr. Adam Danon, Director
Mr. Danon was appointed as a director for the Hermitage Museum Foundation Israel back in 2017 and is responsible for implementing the Foundation’s goals and vision while maintaining the true values and standards of the State Hermitage Museum. Mr. Danon is also heading the M.T. Abraham Foundation, as its executive director, overseeing the Foundation’s cultural development and strategic corporations with other museums worldwide. Among others, Mr. Danon holds positions and is a member and acts on boards of several companies dealing with real estate investments and cultural ventures, where he takes part in building the companies’ strategic plans, as well as their realization. During 2015-2016 he was the Operations Manager of Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club and has supervised the club’s branding and international department.
Mr. Nicolas V. Iljine, Chairman of the Advisory Board
Mr. Iljine studied mathematics at the Sorbonne and specialized in Public Relations. He acted as Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation representative for corporate development, sponsorship, and PR in Europe and the Near East. Iljine played a key role in creating and implementing such museum projects as Guggenheim Bilbao, Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin with Deutsche Bank, Guggenheim-Hermitage in Las Vegas, and in the development of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. He organized several major Russian exhibitions at the Guggenheim snf three contemporary Russian art shows in Miami. He worked jointly with the French architect Jean Nouvel on the design of the Museum of Modern Art in Baku. He acted as Vice-President for International Development at GCAM, involving issues related to museum construction, collection building, management programming, and art investment. He acts as Consultant on international cooperation and contemporary culture in Russia to several European cultural institutions. He took an active part in the organization of numerous exhibitions of Russian art worldwide. Author, editor and co-publisher of several works, he was awarded the Order of Friendship, signed by President Vladimir Putin. He is also the founding member of the Board of Trustees of Kandinsky Prize, and member of the Paris Society of Emperor Alexander III for developing cultural and political ties between Russia and France.
Ms. Karen Sanig, International Culture Legal Counsel
Ms. Sanig is a Partner and Head of Art Law at Mishcon de Reya solicitors, London. She founded Art Law firm in 1995. Karen is a leading individual in the sphere of Art and Cultural property Law and a pioneer in art law. Karen represents a vast array of interesting clients including artists, collectors, museums, galleries, governments, and dealers. She advises on a wide range of art-related legal issues, from dispute to art ownership and authenticity, restitution of cultural heritage property, the setting up of art investment vehicles, or the sale and purchase of artworks. Her vast experience of the eccentricities of the art market has provided her with a unique viewpoint from which to advise on the due diligence required in art transactions. Karen lectures frequently on art law related topics and is often quoted in the media. She is honorary legal counsel for the London Jewish Museum of Art; she sits on the advisory panel for the London Business School Annual Art Investment Conference and is a guest lecturer on the Christie’s Art Business Course.
Mr. Matthew Drutt, Curator & Adviser
Mr. Drutt is a New York-based curator who specializes in modern and contemporary art and design. President of Drutt Creative Arts Management (DCAM), he produces exhibitions and publications, and selectively advises on collections, for public and private cultural institutions, artists, and selected individuals. He serves as Chairman, Arts Committee of LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton NY and has been on the Artist Advisory Board, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia since 2010. He is also Curatorial Consultant to the M.T. Abraham Foundation, Tel Aviv since 2013 and served on the Advisory Board, Hermitage Foundation, New York (2012-2014). Mr. Drutt has worked as a guest curator for the the Beyeler Foundation, Switzerland (2013-2016) and is formerly Executive Director, ArtPace San Antonio (2006-2011), Chief Curator of The Menil Collection, Houston (2001 – 2006) and Senior Curator, Guggenheim Museum, New York (1993 – 2001). In 2006, the French Government awarded him the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and in 2003, his exhibition Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism won “Best Monographic Exhibition Organized Nationally” from the International Association of Art Critics.
Ms. Ivgenia Naiman, Contemporary Art Specialist & Adviser
Ms. Naiman came to Gurr Johns from Philips de Pury & Company London, where she was Head of Russian Contemporary Art and Specialist in Western Contemporary Art. Before this she was Relationship Manager for the Private Client Group at Sotheby’s London, worked in Education and Business Development at the Saatchi Gallery, London, and was a gallery teacher in the Education Department at The Courtauld Institute of Art.
Mr. Avner Kreimer, Head of Financial Department
Mr. Kreimer has served as an employee and manager of Bank Hapoalim from 1993 until 2009. In his last position he was the manager of Bank Hapoalim in Geneva. Mr. Kreimer has a BA in Economics from the Tel Aviv university. Since 2009 Mr. Kreimer is heading a family office, giving financial advice and solutions to his clients. He is acting as the head of the financial department at the Hermitage Museum Foundation Israel since 2013, focusing on corporate fundraising for the Foundation’s activities.
Mr. Gordon Hausmann, Head of International Legal Department
Mr. Hausmann specializes in Business Finance and Banking Law, having founded his own law firm in London. He serves on the Board or as Counsel to various companies including Delta Galil Industries Ltd, UK subsidiary of El Al Israel Airlines, various Israeli Institutions, ICTS International N.V. He is the Governor of the Hebrew University, Orion Foundation, and others; Trustee and Adviser to numerous Charities raising funds for Israeli Institutions, including Ezra le Marpeh, JNF/KKL, and Council for Beautiful Israel. He is also a Member of the European Jewish Parliament. He was Founder and first National Chairman of the Universities Committee for Soviet Jewry; and organized the first public activities in England, on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Former National Chairman of the Inter-University Jewish Federation, Political Officer of the World Union of Jewish Students, and member of Israeli delegation to World Youth Assembly, United Nations New York.