Name: Lea Sednaoui
Resides in: Beirut
Job Description: Founder of the Running Horse gallery
Why an art gallery?
To add to the cultural influence of the country, open minds, share ideas.
What sort of art do you intend to display?
Contemporary all the way; from painting to jewellery, as long as the medium can be investigated further.
What makes The Running Horse special?
It is running, constantly evolving. It opens different doors showing foreign artists as well as Arab artists in very different contexts every time, pushing people to take in new concepts.
Favourite Artists?
Aaron Johnson, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, Annette Messager, Takashi Murakami and Dan Flavin.
What makes great art?
Honesty, emotions, impact, and disruption of conventions.
What role does art play in society?
Art is a synthesis of personal experiences as well as a re-interpretation of global events. It reflects a social state of mind in a very specific moment in time and location.
Who are the most interesting Arab artists around at the moment?
Kutlug Ataman (Turkish), Mona Hatoum (Palestinian/British) and Walid Raad (Lebanese).
What do you love about your job?
The interaction with the artists, the exchange of ideas and concepts; we’re always looking for artists who challenge conventional thoughts.
If you could exhibit the work of one artist, who would it be?
Right now? Anish Kapoor.
Running Horse in five words…
Freedom, evolution, path, creativity and exploration.
What are your plans for the future?
Run faster!
What’s your favourite museum or gallery?
Tate Modern in London and De Young Museum in San Francisco.
