From March 28 to July 28, 2019, the Institute of Islamic Cultures presents “C’est Beyrouth”, an exhibition that pays tribute to contemporary Lebanon, its diversity as well as its complexity.

Through the exhibition, 16 artists of different ages and backgrounds share a new look at Beyrouth, a capital city that has long been plunged into the heart of war and conflict in the Middle East. Sabyl Ghoussoub, curator of the exhibition, chose the 2006 summer war between Israel and Liban as the starting point for the exhibition.

Beyrouth fascinates with its history, its effervescence and its diversity of cultures, the use of the photo and the video thus plunges us in the heart this city with the elusive identity. Videographers and photographers paint a portrait of a unique city, weakened by crises, and the last war that devastate youth.The common point of these works is certainly the central place of the individual.

Inspired by the situation of the inhabitants and the importance of belonging to a community, the works also make it possible to give a voice to the unrecognized or ignored minorities. The exhibition covers themes centered around the human: the cult of appearance, marginal communities (youth, LGBT + population, refugees), or the omnipresence of religion.

With the series Abandon, Cha Gonzales reveals a disoriented youth. We discover the nocturnal excesses of a generation with a special relationship with partying. In 2018, the photographer explained “During the 2006 war, I remembered that many people in my college were going to parties while Beirut was bombed. The relationship of the Lebanese with the party, that’s when it started. “

Through rich programming, The Institute of Islamic Cultures invites us to the heart of Liban with its warmth, its inhabitants, and its effervescence. An exhibition with strong images and poignant videos that makes a beautiful tribute to Lebanese society.