Professional Experience

Curatorial / Advisory

Michelle Lim began curating in 2001 and transitioned to independent practice in 2003. Since then, she has developed curatorial and research-driven projects across Singapore, New York, Tokyo and Paris, with sustained focus on cultural ecologies, community-oriented exhibition models, and eco-political histories in the Global South. Her work emphasizes open exhibition and research frameworks that extend beyond the white cube and conventional museum structures.

She has worked with and advised private collectors, museums, art fairs, and cultural organizations internationally across curatorial initiatives, research, public programming, and cultural philanthropy. Her practice is international in scope and grounded in long-term engagement between industry and academia, informed by art-market experience and curatorial intuition.

Selected Roles and Projects:

• Co-founder, Art Linguistics (2023– ), a cultural philanthropy advisory integrating curatorial thinking into legacy planning and sustainable cultural impact strategies

• Deputy Director, Ravenel International Art Group, Singapore (2001–2003), where she played an early role in identifying the market potential of contemporary Chinese art and introducing key artists and works to new audiences

• Lead curator, Visions & Illusions: Reconstruction of a City (2004), an independently supported exhibition featuring over 50 Singaporean artists and creatives, at St James Power Station

• Co-curator, Undercurrents: Experimental Ecosystems in Recent Art (2010), Whitney Museum of American Art, with multi-site activations across New York City

• Curator, Eat & Crit—Stories about Food, Art and Communities (2011–2015), an independent, community-based project presented in New York and Paris

• Member critic, AICA-USA, the largest national chapter of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art (AICA) founded in Paris.

• Led and moderated workshops and panel discussions at major institutions, biennales and art fairs, including the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Tokyo Geidai, the Mori Art Museum, the National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Biennale and S.E.A. Focus Singapore.

• Served on the Singapore Art Museum Acquisition Committee, the Singapore Biennale Advisory Committee, and the Künstlerhaus Bethanien Residency selection committee for the National Arts Council Singapore.

Diplomacy

Michelle served as a Foreign Service Officer in Singapore’s diplomatic corps from 1998 to 2001. This diplomatic experience informs her understanding of governance, negotiation, and decision-making within complex international institutional and philanthropic environments.

Selected Responsibilities and Engagements:

• Served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Protocol Directorate, overseeing the application of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, including accreditation, diplomatic privileges, and official state protocol

• Served on the political desk covering Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands

• Political and diplomatic coordination for Singapore’s first bilateral Free Trade Agreement, signed with New Zealand in 2000

• Supported Singapore’s successful bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (2001–2002) through diplomatic lobbying efforts

• Staffed official ambassadorial and ministerial delegations to Australia, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea

• Hosted official visits by heads of state and cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the King of Tonga

Brand Strategy & Creative Practice

Michelle is the founder of GroundFire.live, an art and luxury branding platform focused on strategic artist representation and brand collaborations. She is an independent creative strategist with experience across advertising, public relations, and brand storytelling. Her background includes advertising work at Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore during its tenure as International Agency of the Year (1998) under the creative leadership of David Droga, as well as early international recognition as the first non-U.S. finalist in the student category of The One Show.

As a creative director and producer, she has developed campaigns across retail, art, lifestyle, real estate, and social services. She also brings experience in market research and audience insight from her work as an analyst at Euromonitor, informing a strategic, research-driven approach to brand development and cultural engagement.