Los Angeles-based cultural advisory Sibyl to launch Gulf operations, enhancing art market ties

Sibyl, a private cultural intelligence and positioning office headquartered in Los Angeles, is expanding operations to the Gulf region in January 2026. The initiative, developed in collaboration with a regional family office group, positions Sibyl as a strategic advisory layer between private capital in the Gulf and the contemporary art markets in the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

The firm operates as a research-led advisory for private collectors and family offices, tracking artists, intermediaries, and institutional developments to identify emerging positions before they reach broader market visibility. Sibyl advises principals on collection strategy, acquisition timing, custody arrangements, and long-term institutional placement.

"What the rest of the world is just starting to see, the Gulf has known for years," a partner at Sibyl said. "This region is an undeniable future force—serious collectors who understand the market and are positioned to shape it. Not just at the trophy level, but across contemporary, hyper-contemporary, and overlooked positions."

Sibyl describes its methodology as operating upstream of ownership—identifying where cultural value is forming before it consolidates publicly. The firm advises across contemporary, hyper-contemporary, and selectively earlier positions, anchoring forward-facing strategies with historical grounding where relevant.

The focus is on recognising artistic positions with long-term institutional significance and connecting them with collectors operating on extended time horizons.

The Gulf expansion responds to the region's established role in the international art circuit. Major institutions, fairs, and family offices across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar now function as significant nodes in the global market.

The initiative aims to provide Gulf-based collectors with research-driven advisory services for building institutional-grade positions across Western and international contemporary practices.

"The future of this market isn't a single axis between New York and London anymore," the partner said. "It runs through Dubai, through Singapore, through the people building across them. We're here to help them find the right path through."

The firm works with a limited circle of principals through tailored cultural mandates and co-investment structuring. The model operates independently of traditional gallery and auction channels, offering Gulf-based collectors access to positions and placements that would otherwise require established institutional relationships in Western markets.

Sibyl facilitates cross-border transactions and long-term loans between private collections and museums across the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

The firm coordinates institutional loan programmes, private sales, and placement opportunities that connect Gulf collections with international curatorial programming.

Flagship operations are based in Los Angeles, positioned for both Pacific and Gulf access, with additional presence in New York. The Los Angeles facility supports private viewing, storage, and institutional loan coordination.

The Gulf expansion builds on existing relationships with collectors and private offices across the region. Sibyl operates on a retained basis with a limited number of principals, emphasising discretion and long-term alignment over transactional advisory.

More information is available at www.sibyl.art.