Promoting Peace and Reconciliation in Lebanon Through Art
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22 September 24, 2017 Culture Promoting peace and reconciliation in Lebanon through art Samar Kadi in southern Lebanon, which was occupied by Israel for more than 20 years. Beirut “I go to these places, put the canvases on the floor to let them hat if her art could absorb the energy of the space. I help bring recon- hold healing ceremonies, which is ciliation and peace a process of meditation, chanting to her violence- and sacred sound followed with a plagued country? fire ceremony from objects of the WIs it possible for Beirut, which has land as a symbolism of purification long been linked to war and vio- and releasing. With the ashes, I cre- lence, to become the peace capi- ate ink on site and that’s what I use tal of the world? With these ques- to paint with,” el-Khalil said. tions in mind, Lebanese artist Zena With a piece of cloth, usually a el-Khalil set out on a five-year pro- veil or a koufieh (Palestinian scarf), Absorbing energy. “Grand Hotel Sofar.” Ash, ink and pigment on canvas. (Courtesy of Zena el- Khalil) ject that culminated in a 40-day the artist strikes the canvases hard, exhibition titled “Sacred Catastro- creating imprints. phe: Healing Lebanon.” “No two paintings are ever the they pass… It is literally a forest sense of well-being and healing. If you don’t know what love is, you The display, including paintings, same, because the energy of each of remembrance. The issue of the Workshops, events, lectures and cannot give it to others… Only by sculptures and an installation, space is so different and it directs missing is a delicate political issue. panel discussions about healing developing a more compassionate is held in Beit Beirut, a symbolic me in a different way. So they are As an artist I cannot be involved in are also organised along with the relationship with ourselves, can building located on the former very different on a molecular lev- politics, but what I can do is create exhibition. we have compassion towards oth- green line that divided the city and el,” she said. a work that can inspire dialogue,” Workshops and a daily medita- ers.” that still carries the traces of Leba- El-Khalil was inspired by differ- el-Khalil said. tion and peace ceremony will be The artist stressed that using non’s devastating civil war. The ent places that witnessed violence Some of the sculptures on dis- open to the public. Their goal is to Arabic words for the mantras is artwork is meant to serve as a call across Lebanon, including Khiam play carry excerpts from el-Khalil’s help people find inner peace and meant to reclaim the Arabic lan- for reconciliation and healing. prison in the south and houses that poems on love and peace. The ex- to bring them together to spread guage and turn it into an ambassa- “I have always been drawn to were abandoned during the war in hibition also comprises videos and peace throughout Lebanon. dor for peace. the idea of transforming objects Beirut and in the towns of Sawfar a sound piece meant to promote a Mantras in Arabic that mean love “Today whenever you speak Ar- of violence into something peace- and Souk El Gharb in Mount Leba- (mawada), compassion (rahma) abic abroad you are (stereotyped) ful. In my previous works I was non. and forgiveness (ghufran) are re- and can get kicked out of a plane, mostly focused on physical objects The installation “17,000 x For- peated during the meditation cer- because it is connected to violence of violence, like guns and militia- giveness,” which takes up two emonies. The concept follows the and terrorism. So this is an oppor- men, and the idea was to subdue floors of the building, is a piece idea that you are what you think tunity to use Arabic in a peaceful and transform them into harmless of “remembrance” for those who and that your thoughts shape your w a y.” things,” said el-Khalil, who is also went missing in the war. It con- realities, el-Khalil explained. El-Khalil has exhibited interna- a writer and Nada Yoga instructor. sists of 17,000 wooden beams, one “We’re seeing more and more tionally in New York, San Fran- “Sacred Catastrophe” is closely for each of the 17,000 people who The exhibition is scientific evidence that you can af- cisco, Miami, London, Paris, Tokyo connected to the land and the peo- disappeared in the war. They are inspired by the idea fect the environment around you and Dubai. She has also held solo ple who suffered from violence. All painted in five different shades of of transforming based on your thoughts. By repeat- exhibitions in Lagos, London, Mu- the paintings were made in site- green in reference to the green line. ing certain things you can change nich, Turin and Beirut. specific locations that endured “The families of the disappeared places and objects of your personality and habits,” she “Sacred Catastrophe: Healing violence and trauma, starting with are getting old, and many are look- violence into said. “If we are going to move for- Lebanon” runs through October 27 el-Khalil’s hometown of Hasbaya ing for some kind of solace before something peaceful. ward I believe the answer is love. at the Beit Beirut. Iraqi and Syrian ‘Cultures in the Crossfire’ at Philadelphia exhibit Mary Sebold forts to salvage tangible and Syrian passport, a jumble of stamps intangible heritage. and inkpads and an essay under the Never before has the museum same title. He said he was inspired Philadelphia paired treasures from its collections by a lapis cylinder seal from Ur on with modern art. The result is stun- which goats and antelope roam ultures in the Cross- ning in an emotional, almost physi- freely — unlike Syrians and Iraqis fire: Stories from cal, way. now. Syria and Iraq,” an “One of the reasons we did this In “Don’t Wash Your Hands,” a bar “ exhibit at the Penn exhibit was because the Penn Mu- of Aleppo soap, a chipped porcelain Museum in Philadel- seum has had a long history of sink and a mirror, command the de- phia,C depresses, informs and in- working in the Middle East,” said parting visitor not to forget the city, spires everyone who visits. Lauren Ristvet, a Penn archaeolo- not to walk away from the tragedy The exhibition, on view through gist who started digging in Syria in of Syria and Iraq. “The world is ach- November 2018, includes more 1999. “Our museum was founded ing everywhere and we should not than 50 objects from the University because of excavations we did in wash out hands,” Kourbaj said. of Pennsylvania’s archaeological Nippur in the 1880s. That was the By circling through the exhibit a museum and libraries and seven art first moment when Americans did third or fourth time, visitors learn installations or “art interventions,” archaeology internationally. So we how PennCHC has remembered by Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj. have really close ties to Syria and both countries. It provides re- The exhibit, created in conjunc- Iraq. My co-curator, Salam al-Kun- sources to Syrians and Iraqis to help tion with the Penn Cultural Herit- tar, is Syrian. This is a very personal them protect sites, artefacts and age Centre (PennCHC), is small in show.” traditions without coming into dan- scale but vast in mandate. Com- Kourbaj, who teaches at the Uni- ger or calling attention to treasures binations of old objects and new versity of Cambridge, joined the some may want to destroy. art highlight historic and current team in September 2016. She and Using low-tech means, such as devastation and human suffer- Kuntar planned every detail, down sandbags, Syrians saved artwork of ing; cultural wealth preserved, to the colour of walls behind each the Ma’arra Mosaic Museum. The threatened or lost; and valiant ef- display. The show opened in April. Hekayya Heritage Initiative sup- It begins with three haunting vid- ports internally displaced Syrians eos of the destruction of Al-Omari Vast in mandate. Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj (L) speaks with a who have taken refuge in the Dead Mosque in Daraa, the Shrine of the visitor about his “art intervention” in the Penn Museum’s new Cities. Women produce traditional (Mary Sebold) Prophet Jonah in Nineveh and the exhibition. handicrafts for income and chil- destruction of the 3,000-year-old dren learn about their history in Assyrian North-west Palace of Nim- 19th century. “Movement” includes an unknown child who drowned school and through excavations. The ruins can provide rud. two ivory figures from Nimrud that crossing the Aegean seeking asy- “The ruins can provide building Visitors proceed — after regain- were probably carved by Syrians lum in Europe. material,” Ristvet said. “It’s easy to building material. ing their composure — through deported to Iraq in Assyrian times. “My pieces are tombstones made take stone from an old house and four sections. To show the cultural The exhibit ends with objects from of clothing,” Kourbaj said. “I was in build a new one. That’s not neces- and religious diversity of Syria and Aleppo. the classical archaeological muse- sarily bad. We want to give people Iraq across the millennia, the first But the show does not end. Visi- um in Cambridge, looking at hollow a sense that where they are living is section, titled “Lives,” features tors must circle back. All along, they plasters of beautiful bodies from important, so they won’t bulldoze funerary portraits of rich people have seen another exhibit, perhaps Greek and Roman civilisations.