If you're planning a trip to Italy this year, a visit to the Lebanon Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia should definitely be on your must-see list.
Lebanon’s part in this famous global show features Don’t Get Me Wrong, an impressive installation by Lebanese American artist Nabil Nahas. It's at the Arsenale in Venice and includes twenty-six panels, each three meters high, exploring the connection between humans, nature, and the cosmos.
Curated by Dr. Nada Ghandour, the renowned expert in modern and contemporary art, the massive 45-metre-long installation is designed to immediately catch the eye and draw in the viewer.
Combining different geometric abstraction techniques from both Islamic and Western traditions, along with figuration and fractal patterns and influences from across the Mediterranean and beyond, Nabil Nahas explained that he wanted his work to present a rich visual language that demonstrates Lebanon’s multicultural identity.
He commented: “Through this installation, we celebrate Lebanon as a land of confluences, where communities rooted over centuries have shaped a plural identity. Rather than a collection of fragmented elements, this identity is a living, coherent entity, constantly evolving and in motion.”
Inaugurated on May 6 in Venice with a ceremony attended by prominent cultural figures, artists, institutional partners and collaborators, Dr. Nada Ghandour summed up the significance of Lebanon’s participation in La Biennale di Venezia in her opening remarks.
Describing Pavilion of Lebanon as “a powerful symbol of continuity and rooted identity,” she noted that the artwork “extends our cultural voice, asserts our very existence and contributes to the preservation of our identity.”
Visit: lebanesepavilionvenice.com
Harriet Shephard is a freelance travel and lifestyle journalist based in Abu Dhabi. A keen runner, yogi, reader and foodie, she spends her free time trying out new restaurants, lounging on Saadiyat's beautiful beaches and marathon training along the Corniche. Also often found in the departure lounges of Zayed International Airport, she has visited 67 countries, and aims to reach the 100 mark ASAP.
