The 9th edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR will take place from September 20 to 23, 2018, in the Lebanese capital, with the inauguration to be held on September 19. The space allocated for the exhibition is expected to be increased by 63%, with visitor numbers forecast to reach 32,000, up from 28,000 in 2017.
BEIRUT ART FAIR continues to pursue its mission, with an emphasis on discovery. The 2018 edition will have a special focus on a reference exhibition, dedicated to modern and contemporary Lebanese photography. Building on the success of last year, the fair is also expanding, with an enlarged section, titled REVEALING, by SGBL, which will include the 7th edition of the BYBLOS BANK AWARD, a new pool of international galleries and a VIP program to view the best Lebanese collections.
Finally, the fair reveals its newest asset: the famous French-Lebanese curator, Joanna Abou Sleiman-Chevalier, who takes on the role of Special Advisor for BEIRUT ART FAIR 2018.
Four questions to Joanna Abou Sleiman-Chevalier
Beirut appears as a real incubator in today’s artistic field. What do you think is behind this phenomenon?
Beirut is in the Middle East what Berlin is to Europe: a world-city, cosmopolitan, in motion; a city that is constantly reinventing itself, with an energy that constructs, deconstructs and has the capacity to rebuild. This disposition imposes itself on all forms of creativity, be they architectural, musical, plastic or design. Lebanon always encourages renewal, envisioning a new horizon. The soil here contains unmatched gifts of adaptation and resilience. Past events have imposed pragmatism and the need to bounce back, to never give up. From the outside, Beirut is also a port city where passages, reunions, adventures and their stories follow in the footsteps of a singular energy. It is a welcoming land of novelties, where artistic emulation and freedom of expression prevail.
How important is BEIRUT ART FAIR for the Lebanese and regional art scene?
Indeed, the freedom of expression that Beirut allows is unmatched in the Middle East. This wealth makes it an artistic hub, both for regional artists, from Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Iran, and for international creators from all countries, especially emerging territories, such as India, Africa and Pakistan. It offers many opportunities for meetings and discoveries. It’s worth mentioning that Beirut has been a rich, culturally active city since the dawn of time, soliciting the creative element of all parties. The Lebanese have a tradition of being art lovers, collectors and buyers. BEIRUT ART FAIR fused these local energies together and has fostered their existence for nine years. I salute the tenacity of Laure d’Hauteville and her team who believed in this event, in its necessity and gave it the foundations to make it stand out on the international scene.
What is your role within the fair?
My collaboration concerns contemporary art. I want to strengthen the prospective and demanding dimension of the works presented, by attracting renowned and quality galleries. The latter will have the opportunity to exhibit their emerging artists. BEIRUT ART FAIR will become the place where we discover the great artists of the future! They are not always present in the other big fairs. A plethora of fairs is being created and developed around the world, with some galleries participating in 12 fairs a year. In such a context, it is important to me that BEIRUT ART FAIR is positioned at the center of a vast, creative constellation. I am committed to building bridges between the fair, the museums, the private foundations, the collectors, the galleries, the associations, the workshops and artists’ residences. The route planned will include workshop visits, meetings and other innovative events.
What is your background and what motivates you?
I am French-Lebanese, so have a family connection with Lebanon. In 2015, I also organized an exhibition in Beirut, called ‘Territoire d’Affects’, which explored the symbolic link that artists living here and elsewhere maintain with Lebanon. Mona Hatoum, Etel Adnan, Nabil Nahas, Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige, Simone Fattal and many others answered the call. I have curated many exhibitions, including ‘Art in Sport’ at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art for the 2007 Olympics, and ‘Who are you Peter?’ at the Louis Vuitton Cultural Center in Paris. Within the framework of ‘The Night of Museums’, I produced and programmed films at the Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris, which brought together classical music and video art. In addition, I have established a production and distribution company, ‘Talents Video’, which consolidated my position on the French art scene. It’s difficult to summarize my entire career in a few lines, but you can find out more by visiting my website at www.joannachevalier.com. I should add that I’ve been passionate about contemporary art since childhood, it’s not a recent discovery. My mother offered me my first painting when I was nine years old and my love for art has grown over the years, a little more with each encounter.
Interviewed by Annabelle Gugnon
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