The policy that has been Beirut Design Fair’s since the beginning, consisting of raising the level of quality in the Fair, year after year, pays dividends: the level of the 3rd edition of BDF (2019) has been perceived as significantly higher, as per the objectives of the Selection Committee and the organizers.

This ambition is underscored by the importance of the Selection Committee, which brought together in 2019 three major experts playing a leading role on the international design scene. They come from Lebanon, USA, France, and hold mankind in the core of their endeavours. We are pleased and honored that Rebecca Anne Proctor, Nadia Jabri and François Leblanc Di Cicilia have agreed to contribute so much to the quality of this event, and we confidently entrust them with the keys to your «rendez-vous».

The selection committee for Beirut Design Fair reflects the event’s position as a platform for fostering encounters and showcasing talent: one where rigor meets generosity, where diversity is celebrated in a cosmopolitan atmosphere, and where the promotion of creativity is rooted in an economic and cultural context.

This interaction is essential to maintain the primary orientation of Beirut Design Fair: to become the design showcase of the East Mediterranean, where all collaborations are made possible beyond frontiers.

RAP

REBECCA ANNE PROCTOR

Rebecca Anne Proctor is the Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art and Harper’s Bazaar Interiors, a role she has held since 2015. She has written prolifically for publications including The New York Times Style Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Canvas, Artnet News, Frieze, BBC, Galerie, The National and The Business of Fashion as well as written several art catalogues on Middle Eastern art and culture. 

In her previous life, after obtaining her M. Litt from Christie’s London in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Rebecca worked at Gagosian Gallery before moving to Paris to pursue a double MA in Middle Eastern Studies and Conflict Resolution from the American University of Paris and a Master’s in «Sociologie des Conflits» from L’Institut Catholique. Two dissertations later, one developed in Lebanon’s Baalbek region, she moved to Abu Dhabi in 2009 where she worked at the Barakat Gallery and then at Ayyam Gallery in 2011 as an art consultant. Always hungry for new horizons and encounters, Rebecca is an extensive traveler. She travelled throughout the Middle East, Turkey, Iran, North and Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 

Additionally, Rebecca is regularly asked to animate panels, debates and round tables on arts, culture and media Arts in Europe, the Middle East and North America, at artistic events or on TV, in front of the most varied audiences.

NJ

NADIA JABRI

Nadia Jabri is the founder of Letternoon, an international platform specializing in curated Middle Eastern contemporary art and design through an online shop, exhibitions and limited edition production based in New York City.

Trained in international affairs and human rights at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Nadia worked in various international advocacy roles in legal and public affairs. Inspired by her cultural experiences, she saw an opportunity to pursue her commitment to social progress and well-being with a lifelong passion for design and innovation.  She created Letternoon to provide first time access to emerging design and content with a mission to change misperceptions about the region.  It is her hope that retail diplomacy will inspire greatly needed creative connections and collaborations.

FL

FRANCOIS LEBLANC DI CICILIA

Director of the Gallery S. Bensimon in Paris for ten years, François Leblanc Di Cicilia, known as a real talent scout, also personally advises designer’s studio and brands for their creative and commercial development. He founds in love with design and craft during his 4 years’ mission for the Galeries Lafayette Group into the Decorative Art Museum in Paris.  His life’s comitment  is to share know-how and creativity to build bridges between people.

Some highlights : Japanese and Finnish Season exhibition for the Decorative Art Museum,  First creative design exhibition at Le Bon Marché (Paris) and at Lane Crawford (Hong Kong), first Argentine, first Lebanese design exhibition in Paris.

François has worked with several designers and creators, mainly exhibited their works first like Michael Anastassiades, Sabine Marcelis , German Ermics, Marc Dibeh, Sebastian Wrong, Cristian Mohaded, José Levy, Formafantasma, Chritian Haas among many others.