When Khai Hori first travelled to Abu Dhabi to discuss Manar, he arrived with more than curiosity. During the flight, the Singaporean curator drafted a curatorial framework titled the Light Compass, a concept that would shape the tone and direction of the public light art exhibition.
That instinctive clarity reflects the experience Hori brings to Manar Abu Dhabi. Unlike many curators whose profiles are closely tied to institutions or headline exhibitions, Hori has built a career defined by long-term thinking, mentorship and a preference for substance over spectacle.
He began his professional life as an artist after studying in Singapore in the mid-1990s. His early years moved fluidly between visual art, theatre and independent production before he took on an arts management role at Singapore Management University. There, he curated visual arts festivals and established a residency programme for South-East Asian artists, an indication of his commitment to talent development rather than mere presentation.
Hori's curatorial
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