Restoring Hope

Le British Museum de Londres va restaurer huit récipients antiques en verre, brisés lors de la meurtrière explosion du port de Beyrouth en 2020 et les exposera temporairement avant leur retour au Liban, a annoncé mardi l’établissement.

Winning of the Movies that Matter – Cannes film Festival 2021 – the movie related the story of Lebanon’s darkest hour. The eyes of the world have been forced to turn their gaze upon Lebanon, not only because of the Beirut Port explosion that devastated this ancient city on 4th August 2020, but also because, sadly, Lebanon stands as an allegory for kleptocratic regimes and their catastrophic impact that have seen a resurgence across the globe. Trailer

Sous la direction de Bélinda IBRAHIM avec une préface signée Gérard BEJJANI, « Beyrouth Mon Amour 4 août 2020 18h07 », est un ouvrage collectif pour la mémoire rassemblant cinquante-six auteurs qui ont donné leurs textes témoignages de cet instant qui a ravagé une ville et détruit des vies à jamais, illustrés par les photographies, peintures, dessins et illustrations de vingt-six contributeurs visuels. 

Art Relief for Beirut was set up by Netherlands-based artist Mohamad Kanaan. Using Instagram as a call to action, Kanaan has been selling artworks and prints donated by a range of global artists. The joint 2019 Turner Prize winners, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, and Tai Shani contributed work to the platform as a collective. Other artists who have submitted work include Aldo Álvareztostado, Cvmaea Halim, Anna Aagaard Jensen and Younès Rahmoun. In its short lifespan, the initiative has raised almost $100,000, funds directed to NGOs including Impact Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross and Baytna Baytak, a social initiative helping to locate housing for those who lost their homes in the blast. @artrelief4beirut

Lebanese artist Hayat Nazer created an inspiring statue out of glass and rubble from the Beirut port explosion.

An initiative by a Lebanon-based artist Yolande Labaki to make dolls for the children affected due to the Beirut blast has won plaudits online. Since August 5, Yolande Labaki has been handcrafting special dolls for the kids who lost their toys due to the explosion.

The initiative, “Beirut Year Zero”, features paintings, installations, and sculptures by some 60 artists all related to the blast. It was displayed at the Arthaus in Gemayse.

Along with a group of volunteers, Ziad Abi Chaker saved more than 100 tonnes of shards from landfill sites in Lebanon and reshaped them into long-stemmed carafes, traditional ibriks and coffee mugs.

Lebanese artist Fatima Dia is auctioning her painting of last week’s tragic Beirut explosion, “Rising Angels,” to help those affected by the blast.

Wounded Art, a collection of works damaged and destroyed by the blast, displayed in the city’s Villa Audi, a mosaic museum that was itself badly hit.

Krystel El Adem Foundation’s vision is to give children the opportunity to discover and unleash their full potential, teaching them how to unlock a better and a brighter future.

In early 2020, Lebanese-Armenian designer Gaia Fodoulian was busy planning the launch of her new virtual gallery. On August 4, 2020, her dreams were cut short, Fodoulian was one of the 208 people killed in the blast that day. Her mother, Annie Vartivarian, decided to complete her daughter’s work in her memory and launched already several projects.

The concert was hold in the grounds of Sursock Museum a 19th-century palace wrecked by the massive explosion. It started with a rendition of “Li Beirut”, an ode to the city by famed Lebanese singer Fairouz. Portraits of those killed in the blast were displayed in part of the heritage building’s grounds, with a candle burning under each.