Meet Lara Sleiman | Art Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lara Sleiman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lara, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My name is Lara Sleiman, and I’m from many places. From Lebanese origins, I grew up in the warmth of Senegal, in Dakar. After my baccalaureate, I studied law in Paris, France. Fortunately, I can say that growing up, I got the best of all three worlds. My background pushed and triggered my curiosity about the world and cultural differences; it taught me how to compare, understand, and adapt to everyone’s way. Thanks to this approach and a profound passion for the arts, I started talking to many artists, asking questions about their inspiration, goals, and purposes. Beautifully, every artist carries a part of history through their work. After this realization, the desire to highlight their work from all over the world emerged. This pushed me to New York, the absolute most excellent scene for contemporary art nowadays. And it led me to want to be a curator. Where I’m from and the memory of the people I have met and am meeting drive my journey in this very international city.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I personally think that curation is an art: the art of knowing how to highlight other people’s artwork in the best possible way. It requires many skills, both theoretical and practical. What is very exciting about curation is the uniqueness of every project, learning about new artists, and sometimes new techniques. It requires knowledge, a deep understanding, and a creativity. This is where my background is beneficial: it is often much easier to understand an artwork and/or an artist if you feel close to the subject they depict. As I grew up in a mix of Middle Eastern, African, and European cultures, I feel emotionally connected to a large variety of work.

Today, I am building my career to highlight artists’ works and allow emerging artists to express themselves and grow. Later in my career, I’d like to focus on Middle Eastern and African artists, who I think do not have enough voice in New York and in the US in general.

It was not easy to get where I am today, and maintaining my position is still a daily battle. As the first family member to enter the art world, it felt like entering the unknown. For six years before I arrived in the US, I studied law in France, a completely different environment with very different codes. I had to learn New York’s codes and ways on top of these of the art world. I overcame multiple challenges. It taught me always to have a plan B, maybe a plan C. But before anything, it reassured me in my firm belief that every problem has a solution, and New York seems to be the city where everything is possible,

The ocean of possibility and the element of uncertainty make it exciting. I think the most challenging part is knowing which opportunity to take or to let go.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend is visiting me, they will have to discover the New York artistic scene! Starting with the classics: the Mettropolitan Museum and MoMA, and luckily, they both are close to Central Park, so that will lead us to a nice walk or a picnic in the park. I would say one of the must seen in New York is a broadway musical, I recently went to see “Water for the elephants” with a friend visiting. Boradway musicals transports the viewer in another world that is impossible to find somewhere else and is absolutely part of the unique New York experience.
Thursdays in New York are great for exhibition openings and gallery hoping. They are excellent places to meet people not only from the art world but art lovers from everywhere! And why not end the night in a nice speakeasy or jazz bar.
Finally, someone visiting New York, needs to party in Brooklyn. I have spent the funniest and most unexpected nights in Brooklyn. They always end up late with a famous slice of New York Pizza.

There are so many things to do in New York and you can only plan so little. What is great about the city is that, when you let you carry by its flow, it takes you to the greatest experience and places.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother always encouraged me to express my artistic side and pushed and supported me in my decision to move to New York. Once I arrived in New York, Sotheby’s Institute of Art played an immense role in helping me become the person I am today (and I want to thank particularly my professor Han Hongzheng, who initiated me to the art of curating).
And I want to thank all the artists I met these past years for trusting me with their works!

Instagram: @lara.dt1

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-sleiman-74046a170/