Museum as Hub: Beirut Art Center

ziad abillama · tony chakar · joana hadjithomas and khalil joreige · rabih mroué · kirsten scheid

museum as hub: beirut art center is a project which includes an exhibition, the presentation of beirut art center’s mediatheque and a series of events.

the exhibition entitled “due to unforeseen events …”, examines specific cases in which the production or presentation of an artwork in lebanon was altered from its original idea, hence raising unexpected questions and unfolding new meanings. the exhibition features descriptions of each case in addition to new commissions, in which artists respond to the alteration of their original ideas or intentions, using archival documentation as well as new texts, images, and objects. the aim is to question issues that are relevant to contemporary art practices and the recent history and politics of lebanon, such as the relation between art and public spaces, the critical reception of works, and censorship.

in the resource center, beirut art center will also present their mediatheque, a digital archive that offers public access to works – including video, image, sound, and text – by artists from arab countries, iran, turkey and armenia. the mediatheque also includes a selected archive of events that took place at beirut art center since its opening.

beirut art center has also organized a series of public performances and screenings in conjunction with the exhibition.

museum as hub: beirurt art center is organized by sandra dagher and lamia joreige.