BAC design · Karim Chaya: Beirut Rock Center

Beirut Art Center presents Beirut Rock Center by SpockDesign – Karim Chaya, the latest exhibition as part of its series BAC design.

Karim Chaya writes: “Rocking evokes a moment of peace. The recurring rhythm of movement creates a retreat from active life. On the balcony or in a living room, the calm is accompanied perhaps by the gentle squeaking sound of the chair beneath. The chain of swings constructs an ode to time—time filled with being, rather than doing.

The pieces exhibited here were conceived specifically for Beirut Art Center. They are part of an ongoing essay on rocking chairs, and reflect my fascination with the pendulum and the metronome.

In this exercise, I investigate the nature of movement within certain activities including play, rest, meditation, conversation and prayer. Parallel to this, I explore the qualities inherent to different materials such as metal, wood, leather and stone, as well as working with pre-existing shapes and products capable of rocking.

In addition, I am inspired in my work by the principles of Wabi-sabi, a philosophy that focuses on beauty being imperfect, transient, and necessarily unfinished.

The concrete manifestations of these ideas include simplicity and economy of design, as well as appreciation for the integrity of natural forms and processes.

Many variations on rocking are performed everyday in the way we move. My interest is in enhancing these examples, highlighting their symbolism and the associations they evoke, and formalizing these inquiries in a designed object.”