Born in Beirut, Joanna Abou Sleiman-Chevalier graduated in Political Sciences from the American University of Paris. Afterwards, she built her experience through various projects, such as artist management and cultural consulting. She has been an artistic director for Ernst & Young, as well as an independent curator in both Paris and Beirut. As curator, she presented projects in Paris, notably at the Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton, with the exhibition ‘Who are you Peter’ (2010), and in the context of international events such as the Nuit Blanche, with the installations ‘La Mer’ by Ange Leccia, and ‘L’Homme d’Eau’ by Patrick Corillon (2012). In Lebanon, she curated the exhibition ‘Heartland – Territoire d’Affects’, presented at the Beirut Exhibition Center (2015), and ‘Michel Deverne,’ in partnership with PIASA, at Over the Counter (2016). During the 2018 edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR, Joanna acted as Special Advisor for contemporary art and was a member of the selection committee. 

“As the new Artistic Director I am focusing on contemporary art, and mainly on the emerging scene. 2018 welcomed 53 galleries from 22 countries. For the 10th edition, we are planning to broaden our horizons and present a wide panel of artists, notably with a focus on the African continent and so much more. The fair will be coming out of its walls and invest the city for an original project we will announce soon…

BEIRUT ART FAIR offers a great outreach opportunity. The fair brings an ever-growing crowd of international visitors to the city and also to the cultural institutions. This year again our VIP program is going to be filled with amazing activities, as we are collaborating with museums, foundations, private collections and artists’ studios. We cannot wait to share with you everything we are working on for BEIRUT ART FAIR’s 10th anniversary edition. See you in Beirut!”  

Joanna Abou Sleiman-Chevalier