Meet our Guest with Anais Lellouche
Anaïs Lellouche. Photo: Hannah Moore.
For this story of Meet the Guest, Guest Work Agency Director and Founder Alana Kushnir interviewed Anaïs Lellouche, who has recently joined the Agency as International Curatorial Associate.
Anaïs is a curator and art consultant based in London. She has curated exhibitions and led major commissions in Dubai, Melbourne, Paris and New York. She collaborates with collectors to build tailored, museum quality collections and is actively engaged with artists, developing opportunities for them through museum projects around the world. She has been very involved with public art and sculpture parks. Anaïs is on the board of La Pause (Marrakech) and INSPIRE, Peace Research Institute (Oslo). She holds an MA from Bard College, Centre for Curatorial Studies (NY) and regularly publishes and teaches masterclasses on contemporary art.
The word ‘curator’ tends to be thrown around quite loosely these days. What does the role of ‘curator' mean to you?
The term curator comes from the Latin curare (to take care of), meaning that a curator is a guardian, manager and trustee. This goes to the essence of what curating is to me: it’s about taking care of the artists and the patrons that I collaborate with in equal measure. I love building deep relationships with the people I curate and care for.
You’ve lived in multiple cities around the world. Where did you grow up and what led you to art?
I grew up in Paris in a totally “multiculti” family: my mom is American from Puerto Rico, my dad French originally from Tunisia and I was raised by my adopted dad who is Greek. This cocktail instilled in me a strong desire to experience the world and its cultural diversity.
Growing up I wanted to be an artist and an agent for artists – I recently found a letter from my childhood self, describing my dream job, which is so close to what I’m doing now! I started working in the arts at 16 and was spending most of my free time wondering about the museums. The Museum of Modern Art in Paris was walking distance from my house, so I experienced so much great art from a young age! This passion has animated me ever since.
You lived in Melbourne, Australia for five years and during that time worked across galleries, institutions and art festivals. Why Melbourne?
I wanted to explore Australia’s culture and learn more about the Asia Pacific region. I was sent by my former boss at the Centre Pompidou to develop their collection through Australian art recommendations and patrons support. My first job was as curator of Special Projects at the State Library of Victoria, and I loved every moment of it. I brought together a very ambitious show on Victor Hugo and Les Misérables, co-curated with Tim Fisher. The ambition of the show answers your question Why Melbourne? It’s a place where culture is backed by significant means, enabling us to bring 200 works from leading museums in France and Australia for audiences to enjoy. This included our crown jewel – the original manuscript of Les Misérables, a national treasure of France, which remains the most important negotiation and coup of my professional life!
When I was Curatorial Director at Anna Schwartz Gallery, I had the joy of working with some of the most significant contemporary Australian artists and for whom I have the highest esteem, such as Mike Parr, who is for me the greatest contemporary Australian artist, but also the late John Nixon, Emily Floyd and Kathy Temin to cite only a few.
I’m passionate about public art and sculpture gardens, as some of your members might know from our recent online event. I curated several shows for White Night Melbourne over the years, including one in Queen Victoria’s botanical gardens where I presented works by global art stars such as Martin Creed and Pierre Huyghe, always in conjunction with Australian artists, such as Bridie Lunney for example. Nothing like outdoor events to experience art in conversation with architecture and nature!
Bridie Lunney, End with beginning, 2014. Courtesy the artist and White Night Melbourne
At Guest Work Agency we all wear multiple hats and take on a variety of art-related projects. Tell us about some of the artists you have worked with and the hats you have had to wear for such projects?
Recently, I wore a project manager’s hat for the World Fair in Dubai (Expo 2020 now postponed). I led the delivery of a 15-m tall kinetic art commission by Mat Collishaw in the Sustainability Pavilion. The challenge was that the architectural pavilion was being built at the same time as this really complex artwork. All the work was remote (even before C-19) and I had to be very precise and rigorous with the architects and the builders who were across the US, London and Dubai. I’m not eager to wear that hat again but it did teach me loads!
My favourite hat to wear is as an agent for artists. I only back artists I fully believe in and my job is to place their work with leading institutions and private collectors. Current projects – all confidential sorry! – span Australia and the UK, North Africa and the Middle-East. This digital transition we have been forced into with C-19 has actually made international collaborations easier, which is one way to look on the bright side of things!
I also love to wear the HOST hat and am collaborating with collectors to open their homes to artists for exhibitions and events that are open to art lovers.
I’m often asked by my collector clients if it is worth buying international art when based in Australia. There is, of course some added practical barriers e.g. the cost of freight, not being able to see the work in person before purchase. What are your thoughts on this?
Absolutely! I think it is smart to buy international art because it diversifies the portfolio and because the value of international art is solidly backed by acquisitions and demand in multiple countries.
Shipping is easy, we take care of this for you! The challenge is viewing work remotely but I think it is completely worthwhile and necessary when accessing great work internationally.
Mary Weatherford ‘Ruby’ 2019. Private collection, Melbourne.
10 key tips on buying art:
1. Intuition: is your best asset when buying art so trust it.
2. Information: know as much as you can about the work and the artist; be an informed collector.
3. Research: see as much art as you can and read (catalogues, magazines, online platforms).
4. Find people you trust:
- Identify galleries that you share an aesthetic with and develop these relationships.
- Have a curator to help gain access to works of the highest quality and negotiate opportunities.
5. Access: is key! whether galleries or art fairs, the majority of exhibitions of internationally recognized art is generally pre-sold before the show opens so you need access.
6. It’s better to spend your money on art than on anything else.
7. Join collectors’ and museums’ clubs.
8. Digital tip: I always ask for a WhatsApp video of the work so you can see the scale and get a really good sense of the piece. I’ve also organised live video calls with galleries so it’s almost as if you’re there!
9. Check the sizes well as dimensions look different on a picture and on the wall!
10. You Snooze You Lose. If you love what you buy, there are no mistakes, only regrets if you don’t trust your judgement.
Who are some artists you are closely following of late, do you have any tips?
I love learning about new artists and cultural scenes around the world. One of my clients is a collector focused on Middle Eastern women artists. Through my research, I fell in love with several key artists including Etel Adnan, the 98 years old Lebanese painter and poet, and Hayv Kahraman, a young Iraqi painter based in Los Angeles.
Closer to home, my first visit to a gallery post-lockdown was Modern Art in London. I was super keen to see a show by a young and enigmatic painter Justin Caguiat, which was excellent! In the stock room of the gallery, I spotted a fantastic piece by Portia Zvavahera, a young Zimbabwean artist who has a show coming up at David Zwirner in September.
The best part of my job is turning my radar into fruitful collaborations. On the top of my list are Oliver Beer, Marguerite Humeau, Emeka Ogboh, Flora Yukhnovich and Mary Weatherford to cite only a few.
Some key places to discover and follow artists:
See what’s on at your local museums. The NGV or Art Gallery of New South Wales are amazing resources. You can browse their collection online, check the recent acquisitions and their recent shows.
Then, follow the artists on Instagram, which is a great place to discover art. Online platforms such as Artsy and Ocula are also full of content.
We are enjoying working with you on our offerings for Guest Club members. Why does the Guest Club appeal to you and what are some of the ideas you have planned?
The Guest Club is about community and relationship building. Bringing members on a journey through art and igniting passions is of great appeal to me. We’ll do this through regular art recommendations and events such as masterclasses, for instance our recent Art Escapes on the world’s best sculpture parks – and our forthcoming gallery visit and conversation with Oliver Beer!
Image credits: Oliver Beer, Recomposition (Domino), 2020. Fragments of the artist's grandmother's piano, coloured pencils, glasses, chess pieces, domino pieces, a book about music, tobacco pipe, violin fragments, metronome fragments. Courtesy the artist and gallery Thaddaeus Ropac, London.
In the future, I hope we can travel with the Guest Club to some fabulous art destinations together. Until then, I’m extremely happy to have the digital means to continue my long-standing engagement with Australia. Through the Guest Club, I can foster opportunities for artists by building bridges with the people that love art.
For more information on our upcoming Guest Club event see here.
For more info on our Guest Anaïs Lellouche:
Instagram: @lelloucheanais