From Beirut to Lyon there is only one step –
As part of the 16th Biennale de Lyon. Beirut invites itself to the capital of Gaul through the exhibition ” manifesto of fragility – Beirut and the Golden Sixties“. Discover the Lebanese capital through works of all kinds: photos, paintings, sculptures, films, archival documents and so many other media to tell the story of the most western city in the Middle East.
The Paris of the Middle East, the little sister of France, the Switzerland of the Arab world, so many nicknames that can be given to the Lebanese capital. Embodying both art and war, peace and crises, Beirut has so much to tell. The exhibition ” manifesto of fragility – Beirut and the Golden Sixties” tries. Composed of 230 works by 34 different artists, more than 300 archival documents, the contemporary art museum presents Beirut between the 1950s and 1970s, passing through politics, love, war, economy and of course the art, the exhibition manage to represent the current Lebanese capital by talking about the past. Divided into five themes, this retrospective offers so much to discover. For the occasion the Lyon Bondy Blog invites you to discover a small part of this exhibition.
The port: The place
A true symbol of the city, the port of Beirut has been represented over the years in all possible forms and via all possible formats. Between photos and paintings testify to its evolution and its importance for Lebanon. Representing both the golden age and the defeated that the country has known.
The Lovers: The Body
In the 1960s Beirut was the scene of sexual liberation. Very quickly the city became the place where new ways of living were experimented with, far from traditional traditions. A period marked and illustrated by many artists who at the same time released their creative ideas.
Takween (composition): The form
Abstract painting has been one of the preferred forms of expression for many Lebanese artists. The opportunity for them to question the use of forms and the composition of a work. On several occasions Beirut has imposed itself as a place of artistic revolution.
The Monster and the Child: Politics
In this part, the exhibition presents and explains the evolution of political tensions within the Lebanese capital. Emerging at the end of the 1960s, Beirut was affected by several political crises. Tensions and conflicts that only multiplied until 1975 and the beginning of the civil war.
Blood of the Phoenix: War
When politics ignites, war is unfortunately never far away. Beirut knows this well. In 1975, a civil war broke out in Lebanon. A period of horror and misfortune, which will be immortalized by Lebanese artists who strive to always create.
The exhibition is to be found at the museum of contemporary art from September 14, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
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