About
MILAAP & THE JAMIL COLLECTION
MILAAP is an independent and non-profit exhibition platform under The Jamil Collection, founded and led by Khurram and Pernille Jamil. Adamantly insistent on the notion that global spheres of culture are more similar than distinct, the collection brings together artists with ties to the Global South and North, searching for commonalities and meeting points rather than reinforcing separation. Situated in a repurposed garage in the garden of the Jamil family home just north of Copenhagen, MILAAP’s activities unfold in constant interplay with the collection itself.
The Jamil Collection’s growing inventory ranges from medieval Islamic manuscripts to on-site installations by contemporary artists. Exhibitions at MILAAP either present works directly from the collection or activate its artists and themes in new constellations.
MILAAP takes its name from a 1968 sculpture by Karachi-born, London-based artist Rasheed Araeen, the conceptual centerpiece of the collection — a sculptural meditation on meetings, encounters, and dialogue. The exterior also features permanent works by Jeppe Hein and SUPERFLEX, extending the exhibition experience into the surrounding garden.
Khurram Jamil is a founding member of the Area9 group, and the MILAAP team manages the Area9 collection alongside The Jamil Collection. Expanding its scope, MILAAP has recently initiated the development of MILAAP 3 Spaces, a dedicated registration and archival platform designed specifically for private collections - bridging curatorial practice, collection management, and digital infrastructure.
TEAM
Khurram Jamil
Khurram Jamil (*1976, DK) is a trained medical doctor and IT entrepreneur. A former resident of Boston and New York from 2014 to 2020, he now lives north of Copenhagen with his wife Pernille and their two children. Khurram Jamil is a co-founder of the education technology company Area9 Lyceum, where he focuses on regional expansions and partnerships with his over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience.
A dedicated cultural bridge builder, he is involved with various cultural and arts
organizations that support the establishment of creative and reflective societies. Khurram
is a board member at the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston
Public Library - a center that develops programs to inspire curiosity and learning among
people of all ages by using cartographic materials to illuminate history, geography, world
cultures, science, and contemporary issues. He is a former member of the Solomon R.
Guggenheim Museum’s Middle Eastern Art Circle and is currently a board member of
American Friends of SMK - The National Gallery of Denmark. He has also served on the
Education Council of the Center for Global Education (CGE) at Asia Society in New York. Over the years, the Jamil Collection has donated works, made loans or given funds to, among others, the AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, NY; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, NY; The Danish National Gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark; ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Ishøj, Denmark; and the Nicolas Sursock Museum in Beirut, Lebanon.
The collection started slowly in 2008, with a focus on Nordic contemporary artists, SUPERFLEX in particular. Over the previous decade it has broadened to include mainly women artists
from the Global South, in particular the Middle East. The collection now spans a wide range of periods, media, and cultural milieu, from medieval Islamic manuscripts to modernist icons and
global contemporary art.
More on Khurram and The Jamil Collection:
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How to Collect: Julie Quottrup Silbermann, Khurram Jamil, Saskia Neuman & Therese Möllenhoff
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Art as Your Future Business Tool
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Interview by Poul Arnedal (in Danish)
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Danish Originals S4E10: Khurram Jamil
Astrid Wang
Curator
Astrid manages The Jamil Collection and the Area9 Collection on a daily basis, and curates temporary exhibitions in MILAAP’s space in Hellerup alongside Assistant Curator, Adrian Preisler. With a background in art registration and a deep interest in digital collection management, she works at the intersection of art and technology, collaborating closely with Developer, Viggo Beck, on the development of the MILAAP 3 Spaces platform.
Adrian Preisler
Assistant Curator
Pernille Vedel Jamil
Events & Communication
Pernille is responsible for the practical side of how we share our activities. She handles the planning of our annual exhibition and manages our marketing and daily communication, ensuring that our message remains clear and accessible. On a typical day, you’ll find her acting as the bridge between MILAAP and the wider art world. She serves as our primary contact for art fairs and is the person who welcomes collectors and museum representatives for visits and guided tours of the MILAAP space. For Pernille, the focus is always on creating an inviting environment where people can connect with the art.
Viggo Beck
Software & Development
Viggo oversees the technical development at MILAAP, with a primary focus on our art management platform, MILAAP 3 Spaces, developed with Area9 StudioTM, an agentic AI platform, part of the Area9 Group. While the platform is built on advanced AI systems and a secure, modern architecture, his aim is straightforward: to ensure that the technology works seamlessly in the background. He develops digital tools that are reliable, intuitive, and designed to support the collection — enabling us to manage and share our work efficiently without allowing the technology to overshadow the art.