Selena Cerami is the London-based director of Eve Leibe Gallery, an itinerant gallery space that has produced and curated exhibitions in London as well as online that feature the work of emerging and established international artists. She talks about her process of working with artists and creating a community, while creating an impact.
I believe that contemporary artists have an intrinsic value in society that enriches people’s lives, offering multiple reflections on how we live and how our futures might be constructed.
Selena Cerami, director of Eve Leibe Gallery London.
Take us to the beginning of your story. How did your tryst with art begin?
My passion for art started at a very young age. As a child, I used to spend a lot of time with my aunty, a very independent woman, a world traveller, and an assiduous collector. She has lived on and off in Africa for 20 years. Her house was a Wunderkammer of batik, masks, paintings and rarities from all over the world. I remember a fantastic golden and blue Pichwai from India, that eventually ended up in our flat. In school I was very good in art history and drawing lessons. I was also a bit of a rebel. I painted on the school wall a human-size piece revisiting Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” She was a beautiful goddess and she was black.
What inspires you? Take us through your process and frameworks.
Don’t want to sound too existentialist, but everything we do is very much controlled; what we wear, what we watch, what we eat… And art is to a certain extent, the only free field. Human imagination and the making of art cannot be controlled. I am so inspired by visiting exhibitions, talks and artists’ studios. Artists absorb the surrounding and just make it better and more valuable.
First show: How did your audience interact and react to the work you put out into the world?.
The first show I curated was back in 2011 with a non-profit art gallery called STOMACH, based in East London. The audience was quite shocked by the naked performers going around the gallery. I used to love Marina Abramović’s work.
What is the primary role of an artist in society?
I believe that contemporary artists have an intrinsic value in society that enriches people’s lives, offering multiple reflections on how we live and how our futures might be constructed.
What are you looking for in other artists’ work? Which shows and performances have shaped your own process? Who are your maestros? Whose journey would you want to read about?
Any work needs a narrative. I am not enticed by artwork that pursues only aestheticism. The artwork should not be divorced from any didactic, moral, politics, or utilitarian function. My inspirations are Tracey Emin, Louise Bourgeois, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Peggy Guggenheim, Victoria Miro and Almine Rech.
Tell us about your own personal evolution and your ongoing commitment to the arts.
I am committed to personal and professional growth, to changing my life and changing the world at the same time. I absolutely know I want to have an impact on people’s lives through art. I want to help artists achieve their dreams and achieve mine at the same time.
I am interested in bringing to the public exhibitions that talks of oral history, myth, identity, sexuality, outer world, technology and evolving human relationships.
How do you strike a balance?
Keeping the balance is not an easy task. Let’s dispel the myth, “commercial” can be very creative too. The artworks that collectors request the most are the most peculiar. You need to find the right audience, that’s all.
When you love your job, you will work endlessly all the time. I have learned that breaks and time spent with who you love are more beneficial to the career, than working 24/7. Spirituality helps me restore and to believe.
How does your interaction with an artist evolve from the (brief you set out?) initial interface with their work, to then working-involvement-relationship?
Every relationship is different. Some of the artists come from my research and some artists reach out to me. I try to establish a physical contact when possible; talking and visiting the studio helps to understand if we can work together. I think it’s very important to work with people you can converse with and trust professionally. As I am at the beginning of my career, I like to work with upcoming artists. I see it as an evolving professional journey for both me and the artist.
What are you working on now? What’s coming next season?
In December, I am opening the show, ‘I Hope This Finds You Well,’ a group exhibition that explores the relationship between technology and detachment. The title is a romantic response to the opening of a conversation that you might have had previously, one which you are willing to engage with again after a long period.
Next year will see collaborations and a group show with five very talented female artists engaged with the textile medium, but I won’t say too much for now.
Take us to the beginning of your story. How did your tryst with art begin?
My passion for art started at a very young age. As a child, I used to spend a lot of time with my aunty, a very independent woman, a world traveller, and an assiduous collector. She has lived on and off in Africa for 20 years. Her house was a Wunderkammer of batik, masks, paintings and rarities from all over the world. I remember a fantastic golden and blue Pichwai from India, that eventually ended up in our flat. In school I was very good in art history and drawing lessons. I was also a bit of a rebel. I painted on the school wall a human-size piece revisiting Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” She was a beautiful goddess and she was black.
Selena Cerami, director of Eve Leibe Gallery London.
What inspires you? Take us through your process and frameworks.
Don’t want to sound too existentialist, but everything we do is very much controlled; what we wear, what we watch, what we eat… And art is to a certain extent, the only free field. Human imagination and the making of art cannot be controlled. I am so inspired by visiting exhibitions, talks and artists’ studios. Artists absorb the surrounding and just make it better and more valuable.
First show: How did your audience interact and react to the work you put out into the world?.
The first show I curated was back in 2011 with a non-profit art gallery called STOMACH, based in East London. The audience was quite shocked by the naked performers going around the gallery. I used to love Marina Abramović’s work.
What is the primary role of an artist in society?
I believe that contemporary artists have an intrinsic value in society that enriches people’s lives, offering multiple reflections on how we live and how our futures might be constructed.
What are you looking for in other artists’ work? Which shows and performances have shaped your own process? Who are your maestros? Whose journey would you want to read about?
Any work needs a narrative. I am not enticed by artwork that pursues only aestheticism. The artwork should not be divorced from any didactic, moral, politics, or utilitarian function. My inspirations are Tracey Emin, Louise Bourgeois, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Peggy Guggenheim, Victoria Miro and Almine Rech.
Tell us about your own personal evolution and your ongoing commitment to the arts.
I am committed to personal and professional growth, to changing my life and changing the world at the same time. I absolutely know I want to have an impact on people’s lives through art. I want to help artists achieve their dreams and achieve mine at the same time.
I am interested in bringing to the public exhibitions that talks of oral history, myth, identity, sexuality, outer world, technology and evolving human relationships.
How do you strike a balance?
Keeping the balance is not an easy task. Let’s dispel the myth, “commercial” can be very creative too. The artworks that collectors request the most are the most peculiar. You need to find the right audience, that’s all.
When you love your job, you will work endlessly all the time. I have learned that breaks and time spent with who you love are more beneficial to the career, than working 24/7. Spirituality helps me restore and to believe.
How does your interaction with an artist evolve from the (brief you set out?) initial interface with their work, to then working-involvement-relationship?
Every relationship is different. Some of the artists come from my research and some artists reach out to me. I try to establish a physical contact when possible; talking and visiting the studio helps to understand if we can work together. I think it’s very important to work with people you can converse with and trust professionally. As I am at the beginning of my career, I like to work with upcoming artists. I see it as an evolving professional journey for both me and the artist.
What are you working on now?
In December, I am opening the show, ‘I Hope This Finds You Well,’ a group exhibition that explores the relationship between technology and detachment. The title is a romantic response to the opening of a conversation that you might have had previously, one which you are willing to engage with again after a long period.
Next year will see collaborations and a group show with five very talented female artists engaged with the textile medium, but I won’t say too much for now.
Before you go – you might like to browse the Asian Curator curatorial archives . Contemporary art curators and international gallerists define their curatorial policies and share stories and insights about the inner runnings of the contemporary art world.