Gallery Isabelle is a contemporary art initiative based in Dubai that evolved from the long term practice of curator and gallerist Isabelle de Caters, who first arrived in the city in 2003. Beginning with exhibitions staged in temporary and domestic spaces, de Caters developed an intuitive and risk driven approach that created early channels between artists working under constrained conditions, particularly from Iran, and a regional context that was increasingly receptive to contemporary art. This trajectory led to the founding of B21 Gallery in 2006, one of the United Arab Emirates’ first contemporary art galleries, followed by Gallery IVDE at Alserkal Avenue in 2010, where she established a pluralistic program centered on artistic integrity rather than fixed identity categories.

After more than one hundred exhibitions, de Caters announced a gap year in 2022 as a moment of transformation rather than interruption. The initiative subsequently reopened as Gallery Isabelle under the direction of Jad Karam, operating as a fluid and adaptive platform that extends beyond the conventional gallery model. Today, Gallery Isabelle integrates exhibitions with residencies, publishing, performance, and discursive exchange, positioning itself as an evolving cultural framework responsive to artistic experimentation and dialogue.