Why Beirut plays a central role in this year’s Lyon Biennale

Why Beirut plays a central role in this year’s Lyon Biennale
View from ‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties’ at the Lyon Biennale. (L) Mona Saudi series, 1977-79. (R) Paul Guiragossian, ‘The Funeral of Abdel Nasser,’ 1970. (Supplied)
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Updated 21 October 2022

Why Beirut plays a central role in this year’s Lyon Biennale

Why Beirut plays a central role in this year’s Lyon Biennale
  • The Lebanese capital is key to the curators’ vision of a ‘Manifesto of Fragility’

DUBAI: When Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath began planning their curation of the Lyon Biennale, in March 2020, the world was just waking up to the dangers of COVID-19.

Naturally, the disruption and damage of the pandemic ended up having a major influence — not just logistically (it was delayed for a year), but thematically.

Bardaouil tells Arab News that the conversations he and Fellrath had with creatives all raised similar concerns. “We’re all so conscious of our fragility and our mortality, how vulnerable these structures we’ve built are — one virus and we’re building from scratch. So there was this sense of hopelessness. But, at the same time, people started to find ways of resisting.




A work by Aref El-Rayess on display in the ‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties’ section of the Lyon Biennale. (Supplied)

“We thought it would be important to talk about how this consciousness of weakness could be the basis for a new way of thinking about forms of resistance that allow us to use this fragility as a stepping-stone, instead of always pushing it to one side and always wanting more, stronger, better.” Hence the biennale’s theme: “Manifesto of Fragility.”

Bardaouil, who now lives in Berlin, is a native of Beirut, which, aside from the pandemic, also went through financial and political meltdown and the horrific port explosion of August 2020 — all of which he believes has left the city’s inhabitants at a lower ebb than ever before.

The curators wanted to find a way of “shedding light on that antagonism that has been going on for decades (in Beirut) — between moments of prosperity and well-being and a sense of self-confidence and achievement, and these lows where you feel you’re at a dead end.”

But they knew they couldn’t simply shoehorn Beirut into the Lyon Biennale. As it turned out, they had no need to. History provided.




A piece by Huguette Caland on show in the ‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties’ section of the Lyon Biennale. (Supplied)

As the pair began to research ideas, they discovered the two cities have been linked for hundreds of years, ever since Lyon was a major center for silk production and the area around Mount Lebanon became a vital source of raw silk for the local merchants. “In terms of size, it wasn’t the biggest,” Bardaouil explains. “But in terms of how much power they had to monopolize the market, it was very important.”

Wealthy families in Lyon began to acquire land in Lebanon, where they built factories for raw silk production. By the 1850s, it was a vital export and Lebanon’s farmers shifted away from food crops to plant mulberry trees.

But then came the First World War. “And then,” Bardaouil says, “there’s starvation. Because you can’t eat the leaves of mulberry trees. So lots of people are forced to leave — this huge wave of emigration from Lebanon in the First World War to North America and other parts of the world, but also even earlier, because of (Lyon’s) monopoly, the farmers were always in debt to the agents who were supplying their money. So people started emigrating in the 1870s and 80s, and women started going into the work force. A lot of things we see today — the social standing of Lebanese women; emigration; the rise of families who are still some of the most dominant in politics and society — all go back to the silk and Lyon.”




From the ‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties’ section of the Lyon Biennale. In the foreground, Simone Baltaxé Martayan, The workers, ca. 1950-59 - On the right three works by Georges Doche. (Supplied)

The ties deepened: Lyon’s silk merchants affected the selection of the first French High Commissioner in Lebanon, and supported the Jesuits who set up many of the country’s schools — not out of generosity, but to gain free child labor.

“It’s a very intriguing and ugly and beautiful history, all at the same time — a conflation of religion, politics, education and economy,” Bardaouil says.

The curators have highlighted that history with their customary flair. “We like to find entry points that bring a project into direct contact with its local context then branch out into something more universal,” Bardaouil explains. So the biennale is in three stages. The first focuses on an individual: Louise Brunet, a woman from Lyon who took part in a revolt in 1834 against the terrible working conditions of the silk weavers, got sent to prison, then emigrated to work in a silk factory in Mount Lebanon, where she led another revolt.

“For us she became this symbol of fragility and resistance,” says Bardaouil.  “We thought, ‘How many Louise Brunets are there in the world, throughout history?’ She could be a black woman brought from Senegal to pretend to be the wife of some Zulu leader at the colonial exhibition in 1894 in Lyon. She could be a Japanese immigrant in America sent to a concentration camp after Pearl Harbor. She became a metaphor, a symbol. In this section, we’re talking about the fragility of race, the fragility of our bodies, of our desires. All these things.”




View of ‘The many lives and deaths of Louise Brunet’ at the Lyon Biennale, showing works by Giulia Andreani, ‘The Betrothed’ and ‘The Dream of Ulysses.’ (Supplied)

From there, the show expands to look at an entire city as a symbol of fragility: Beirut. Specifically its ‘Golden Age,’ from the end of the French Mandate to the start of the Civil War, in five stages, covering artists’ representations of Place, Body (including the women’s liberation movement), Form (the various styles that artists in Lebanon adopted), Politics, and War.

For the show’s third section, “A World of Endless Promise,” Bardaouil and Fellrath invited artists from across the globe “to think with us about our fragility and different forms of resistance. How do we move forward using this fragility as a platform? How do we live in the world?”

Through the works on display in the show’s middle section, Bardaouil says, “We wanted to celebrate these artists and say, ‘Look, this city has given so much. It’s been a major contributor to the language and practice of modernism.’ But at the same time, it’s a bit of a cautionary tale. Because if it was such a golden age, then how come we had a civil war just a few years later, the repercussions of which are still with us today?”

The nostalgia surrounding this period of Lebanon’s history is something Bardaouil has been familiar with since childhood — when clichés like “The Arab Riviera” or “The Paris of the East” were common.

“As a child, of course, your eyes sparkle; it’s so exciting to hear,” he says. “I grew up in the thick of the civil war, so this was completely alien. But, still, you absorb it and it inspires you. And, at some point, people stop questioning whether it’s true. Because you want to hold on to this idea that if it happened before, it might happen again — it becomes a form of potential redemption.”

While Lebanon did become a revered cultural hotspot in the Fifties and Sixties — home to an influx of activists, artists, writers and intellectuals who had no platform in their own countries — this brought its own problems, Bardaouil points out.




Louis Boulanger, ca 1849, Moorish woman - on display in ‘The Many Lives and Deaths of Louise Brunet’
at the Lyon Biennale. (Supplied)

“It became a thriving place for all these ideas and projects and, at times, irreconcilable ideologies. And at some point, it became untenable,” he says. “There were people who were benefitting from this and there were people who weren’t. Some people felt empowered, some felt marginalized. And all these things escalated until it came to a head in 1975.”

Bardaouil talks of an “adoptive amnesia” that has afflicted his homeland. “This is one of the biggest issues we face in Lebanon,” he says. “It’s almost like a national myth. But once you start looking at it, you get a better understanding of why we are where we are. The problems of the moment are related to what happened back then.” The topics raised in the biennale can, he hopes, lead to “moments of crystallization.”

The attempt to open up such conversations can be seen as a form of activism, he argues, “because you’re trying to challenge people on what they’ve adopted as fact. And we can never find a common way forward if we’re all coming from completely different ways of thinking about our past.

“This is where this exhibition becomes about more than just beautiful artwork,” he continues. “It’s saying, ‘Wait! This is not as simplistic or linear as we think. It’s much more convoluted, and we need to disentangle it to find something we can all agree on.’”


Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week
Updated 25 March 2023

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week
  • The event will kick off with an opening night on May 12 at the Egyptian Museum, featuring the “Best of Egyptian Designers” fashion show curated by US stylist Julie Matos, followed by a gala dinner

DUBAI: Saudi Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak is set to speak at the first edition of Egypt Fashion Week, which will take place from May 12 to 15.

The event will also be attended by US fashion blogger Diane Pernet, Nigerian entrepreneur Omoyemi Akerele and co-founder of the Egyptian Fashion & Design Council Austrian Egyptian Susan Sabet.

Sabet said in a statement: “We are very proud and grateful to have won over so many distinguished speakers and major worldwide media partners and attendance to ensure that all eyes will be on Egyptian fashion.”

The second two days of the event will be held at the Museum of Agriculture. (Supplied)

The fashion week, which has been in the making for about four years, is titled “Past, Present & Future” and is set to celebrate Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization, inspired by its culture, and to show the world Egypt’s present.

“Inspired by the rising number of emerging designers and growth of the local fashion industry, we knew the time had come to show the world our pool of creative talents and local cotton and textile industry,” Sabet added.

“The EFW program goes far beyond fashion shows and exhibitions and aims to connect the local, African and Middle Eastern markets through design, craftsmanship, education, sustainability, production and retail.”

The fashion week is set to celebrate Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization. (Supplied)

The event will kick off with an opening night on May 12 at the Egyptian Museum, featuring the “Best of Egyptian Designers” fashion show curated by US stylist Julie Matos, followed by a gala dinner.

The following two days will be held at the Museum of Agriculture, one of the most important museums of its kind in the world, which will open its doors for the first time after five years of renovation for EFW.

The museum traces the history of agriculture and cotton in Egypt from prehistory to modernity, acknowledging agriculture as the basis on which Ancient Egyptians built a civilization.

The fashion week’s guests will discover designer exhibitions curated by the Saudi Fashion Commission, Lagos Fashion Week, Jordan Fashion Week and GTEX-ITC.

EFW will also host panel talks by local, regional and international industry leaders in the fields of design, education, craftsmanship, production, retail, sustainability, women’s empowerment and finance.

Launchmetrics, a partner of New York and Paris fashion weeks, is EFW’s logistics partner.


Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar
Updated 25 March 2023

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

DUBAI: Popular in the Middle East, and south and central Asia, lamb haleem, a type of stew, is a staple dish in Ramadan.

Although it varies from region to region, it optionally includes wheat or barley, meat, and lentils.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by (@prashantchipkar)

It is made by blending or mashing the meat in the curry and serving hot with flat breads or on its own.

Here, Prashant Chipkar Qureshi, the culinary head chef at Masti Cocktails and Cuisine, shares his lamb haleem recipe for a hearty iftar.

Lamb haleem is made by blending or mashing the meat in the curry. (Shutterstock)

Ingredients:

200 grams broken wheat

200 grams boneless lamb

2 grams red chili powder

50 grams yogurt

30ml ghee

5 grams mint

50 grams yellow moong dal

10 grams ginger garlic paste

2 grams turmeric

50-gram onion

50 grams haleem masala

20 grams coriander leaves

1-piece green chilies

Salt, to taste

Lemon wedges, 1 lemon

2 grams garam masala powder

1 gram peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

50 grams cashew nuts

Method:

To prepare this popular delicacy, wash and soak the broken wheat for half an hour. Trim the lamb (boneless) of any excess fat. Add the lamb to a vassal with about one cup of water and put it over a medium flame. Fry the onion until golden brown and set aside.

To the lamb, add half a tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, half a teaspoon of salt, red chilli powder and garam masala powder, along with a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook the mixture for eight to 10 minutes and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. Shred and keep aside.

Boil the broken wheat along with the yellow moong dal with a tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies, and peppercorns in eight cups of water until it is cooked completely, and the water is absorbed. Blend this mix for a few seconds.

Heat the oil in another container and add whole spices including a cinnamon stick, cooked and shredded lamb, the remaining green chillies, haleem masala, and half a cup of fresh coriander, and saute for two to three minutes. Add curd and saute for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add three cups of water and bring to a boil.

To this, add the blended broken wheat and dal mixture and mix well while adding a little ghee as you go. Let it simmer and cook slowly for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot garnished with fried onions prepared in step one, mint leaves, cashew nuts, lemon wedges, and the remaining fresh coriander.


Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses
Updated 24 March 2023

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez on Thursday was announced as the ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses, available in the Gulf region.

“I’m so happy to be the face of Amara Lenses and it’s been wonderful to work with you,” she said in a video shared on the brand’s Instagram page.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amara Lenses (@amaralenses)

Amara Lenses has previously collaborated with regional influencers including Saudi makeup artist Shouq Artist, Kuwaiti fashion blogger Fouz Al-Fahad, Bahraini content creator Zainab Al-Alwan, Kuwaiti influencer Fatima Al-Momen, Egyptian actress Nour Ghandour and more.

However, the partnership with Rodriguez is the brand’s first with an international star.

The Arab brand sells lenses in various shades of grey, brown, green and blue. 


Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles
Updated 24 March 2023

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

DUBAI: “Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn stunned this week wearing a silver gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran in Los Angeles. 

The reality TV star wore a strapless dress that gathered at one hip to the 2023 Fashion Trust Awards. 

Quinn, who is a real estate agent, paired the satin gown with colorful beaded boots that had 3D floral patterns in hues of burgundy, white and silver. 

Quinn paired the satin gown with colorful beaded boots. (AFP)

She was joined on the grey carpet by her partner Christian Richard, who is a retired tech entrepreneur. 

The event was also attended by Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kate Beckinsale and more. 

Fashion Trust US is a non-profit organization dedicated to “discovering, funding, and nurturing young design talent with the aim of helping them build their label into a thriving global brand.” 


Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 
Updated 24 March 2023

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam has landed herself another campaign, this time for a collaboration collection between Swedish high-street retailer H&M and French fashion label Mugler.

In the short teaser video Hammam shared on her Instagram stories, three artists are singing in a recording studio until Hammam suddenly breaks down the wall and walks into the scene.

Rising singers Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater, and Arca star in the campaign video. They recorded their own take on Stardust’s 1998 dance hit “Music Sounds Better with You.”

Discussions for the collaboration began before founder Manfred Thierry Mugler’s passing in January 2022.

The capsule will be available online and in stores from May 11.

The collection is being crafted under the direction of Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader and will encapsulate “the unique and vibrant spirit of the brand,” H&M said in a statement.

Casey Cadwallader and Ann-Sofie Johansson. (H&M)

The silhouette of the collection is the recognizable Mugler fit of today: Strong, big shoulders, a tight focus on the waist, an ode to the curves and lines of the body, and a tribute to confidence.

Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative adviser, said: “We are proud to celebrate the legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler with this collection. We were all honored to get to know Manfred, and it feels very special that he was involved at the initial stages together with Casey and the house of Mugler.

“Casey has done such an incredible job at paying homage to history, and to the archive, while making the collection totally contemporary. Under him, Mugler has become one of the most innovative and exciting houses on today’s fashion landscape,” she added.

Cadwallader said: “It is truly an honor to collaborate with H&M. The collection is a celebration of everything that defines Mugler as a house and each piece is authentic Mugler, from the bodysuits, which have become a signature of ours, to the sharp tailoring and worked denims. It is a showcase of our icons.”