Hotel Arthaus Beirut Launches Exhibition To Help Blast Victims
Lebanon’s boutique hotel has announced an exhibition called Beirut Year Zero, uniting artists in support of the Lebanese Red Cross, to help victims affected by the tragic Beirut blasts
On August 4, 2020 a catastrophic explosion shook the beautiful lively city of Beirut, Lebanon. The explosion took over 200 lives, left 6,500 injured, 300,000 homeless and more than $10 billion in property damage.
Hours before the blast, boutique hotel Arthaus Beirut was set to open its doors on the exact day. An assemblage of guest houses, for founders Nabil and Zoe Debs, nomadic lifestyles inspired them to offer travellers a home away from home.
Rania Mattar. Capture d’eecran. 2020
Feeling deeply driven by the incident to help rebuild the city, Nabil and Zoe grouped over 54 artists for an exhibition entitled Beirut Year Zero, with over 80 artworks unveiled in the hotel on October 2, 2020.
The exhibition has been curated by the owners of Arthaus, Marine Bougaran and Pascal Odille, and selected lots will be sold at the gallery, with the remaining shipped to London in leading auction house. The title Beirut Year Zero has been inspired by Italian producer Roberto Rossellini’s 1948 film, Germany Year Zero, a reflection of a demolished Berlin conveyed through the eyes of the ‘real people’.
Rania Mattar. Capture d’eecran.
The exhibition will showcase sculptures, painting, installations, photographs, engravings, illustrations, revolution street art, music, texts and poetry. The opening night will see a string quarter concert by Beirut Chant, followed by a recital by pianist Dr. Antonie Karam.
In collaboration with Arthaus, Gouraud Street will present a street exhibition and street concerts by the colourful Gemmayze Stairs, with the intention of spreading hope across the neighbourhood. “This large exhibition is a cultural front and the response from the Beirut art scene as well as from our overseas friends and allies was overwhelming and heartwarming,” says Nabil.
An interior view of the hotel
“It is inevitable that talents in large numbers will be migrating. Many artists and galleries are still shell-shocked and it will take years to mend their grief. One silver lining is that the Lebanese are attached to their identities and will inevitably come back to their roots, it is only a question of time, when those talents will get back here with fresh ideas and turn their grief into creativity.”
The auction house for the charity will be announced soon. Fifty per cent of all the proceeds will be donated to the Lebanese Red Cross and the remaining 50 per cent will be given to the participating artists to uphold the creative community. Received donations will contribute to the direct financial assistance to 10,000 most vulnerable families affected by the Beirut Port explosion, and to the national free ambulance and blood transfusion services. arthaus.international
Image Courtesy of Arthaus Beirut
From the Autumn 2020 Issue of Harper’s Bazaar Art