Beirut Design Fair. Selection Committee for 2019 Edition

The policy that has been Beirut Design Fair’s since its creation, consisting of raising the level of quality in the Fair, year after year, pays dividends: the level of the 2nd edition of BDF (2018) has been perceived as more demanding as per the objectives of the Selection Committee and the organizers.

This ambition is underscored by the role of the Selection Committee, which brings 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.

Seeking quality first and foremost, the role of the Selection Committee is to allow the fair to find a balance between national and international exhibitors, between established and emerging or independent designers, between modern and contemporary creations, worldwide or Lebanese. The confluence of these recognized professionals offers multicultural expertise on a variety of topics centered around the pursuit of meaning, relevance and beauty.
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.

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. 

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. 

François 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. 

Reinforced team: growing expertise

The Lebanese anchoring of this Beirut event affirms itself with the reinforcement of the team (development, scenography): the support of Randa Armanazi for the development of this initiative and its influence in the Middle East and in Europe; the affirmation of its Levantine roots with the museum-scenographic experience to which Rawad Rizk invites us.