Lebanon pavilion at Venice Biennale to evoke the 'chaos and beauty' of Beirut


Saeed Saeed
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Beirut is the inspiration behind the Lebanese pavilion's key works at the Venice Biennale in Italy, which runs from April 23 to November 27 at the Venetian Arsenal.

The Lebanon pavilion is curated by Nada Ghandour under the theme: The World in the Image of Man.

The centrepieces of the exhibition will be an installation by Lebanese artist Ayman Baalbaki and a video directed by Danielle Arbid.

According to the programme notes, both works are inspired by the urban and frenetic nature of Beirut, a city encompassing the "chaos and beauty" of Lebanon.

Baalbaki's installation, Janus Gate, is potent and gritty. It features a structure whose walls are comprised of collage of a torn-up, neon-lit street signs, furious splashes of blood, coloured paint and images of decaying buildings.

Ayman Baalbaki, 'Janus Gate'. Photo: Ayman Baalbaki
Ayman Baalbaki, 'Janus Gate'. Photo: Ayman Baalbaki

Inside the structure, amid the torn fabrics is a small analogue television humming away.

The installation also features a clothes line carrying singlets and trousers drenched in green liquid.

“This is the first time that I have presented such an ambitious and monumental installation, which is about five metres high,” Baalbaki said.

“It was also a new experiment from a technical point of view because I used 'flex', which is a material on which the colours do not cling easily. I also added posters and many other materials taken from the streets of Beirut.”

Danielle Arbid explores Beirut with short film 'Allo Cherie'. Photo: Danielle Arbid
Danielle Arbid explores Beirut with short film 'Allo Cherie'. Photo: Danielle Arbid

Arbid's video, called Allo Cherie, depicts a stroll through Beirut and captures skirting the line between exuberance and extinction.

"For me, it is a way of capturing Lebanon, a country that one feels could disappear tomorrow," she said.

“The idea was to create a sense of immersion where one can put oneself in the shoes of my character and enter their life. This is why I chose to divide the video in two.

“The split screen and the cutting of the sequences reinforce the feeling of a turn, of a tilt. It accentuates the surprise. We find ourselves more immersed in the streets of Beirut and we are surrounded by the spaces of this city.”

Pavilion architect Aline Asmar d’Amman created an experience suggesting a walk through the "heart of Lebanon" and is inspired by the city's brutalist architecture of the 1960s.

Asmar d'Amman says the stark visuals are a direct response to Lebanon's dire situation. "The choice of such radical actions and sceno-graphic materials expresses a desire for sobriety in response to the country's current situation.”

More information on the Venice Biennale is available at www.labiennale.org

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

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1921

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The five pillars of Islam

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Where to apply

Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020

Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.

The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020. 

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The five pillars of Islam
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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Updated: October 12, 2022, 10:15 AM`