Everyone Is The Creator Of One's Own Faith
In the historical heart of Beirut, the Tabbal Building is hosting a temporary exhibition of art and design with a scenography by Ghaith&Jad.
Art Design Lebanon was originally conceived of by Gaïa Fodoulian, a young Beirut-based creative, who was tragically killed by the 4th of August explosion in Beirut.
This year, to continue her legacy, her mother, Annie Vartivarian, is bringing AD Leb to life, fulfilling the vital work that Gaïa started.
As an established gallerist and patron of the arts, Annie brings her wealth of experience and passion to this new initiative.
All proceeds from AD Leb will go to support the Gaïa Fodoulian Foundation, an organisation founded in Gaïa’s memory to carry on her passion for animal welfare, particularly stray animals and other animals in need. The Foundation is run by Gaïa’s sister, Mariana Fodoulian, a veterinary doctor.
Titled "Everyone is the creator of one's own faith", AD Leb’s first pop-up exhibition brings together both newly commissioned and existing works by local artists and designers, who were asked to create and produce works as a response to themes invoked by the exhibition title. Their responses to the title are expressed through a range of mediums including illustration, photography, neon artwork and furniture. The exhibition questions what it means to produce and exhibit art amid the daily precariousness we face in Lebanon.
How can art and design shape our experience of the present moment? What role do they play in the increasingly virtual and crisis-prone world we live in today? To what extent is artistic creation an act of faith?
The exhibition asks us to reflect on these questions, creating a dialogue between the works on display and their responses to these themes. The exhibition title is a reference to the caption Gaïa Fodoulian used in her last Facebook post: a photo of her published on 4 August 2020 running towards the camera, a mountain of green behind her. The picture was originally taken at the Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka, in February 2020. It is impossible to tell what Fodoulian had in mind when she created this post as she was killed just a few hours after. But the question of faith – what it means to have it, and more importantly, how difficult it is to live without it – is relevant today more than ever.
Participating artists and designers include Samer Bou Rjeily, Karen Chekerdjian, Hatem Imam, Sirine Fattouh, Gaïa Fodoulian, Paul Kaloustian, Nathalie Khayat, Hussein Nassereddine and Caroline Tabet. The exhibition’s scenography is designed by Ghaith&Jad.
The Tabbal building dates back to the 1890s, which was partially damaged by the explosions. Installed on the first floor, a host of newly created contemporary design and artwork will be presented in dialogue with each other, as a powerful testament to the resilience of this community within the historic setting of this traditional architecture.
‘Everyone is the creator of one's own faith’ is also a digital exhibition for global audiences to engage with the immense diversity of creativity from the region. AD Leb will allow visitors access to this talented group of creatives as well as provide a way to support the Beirut community in the wake of the explosion.
The exhibition will run until Saturday 29 April 2021 and will open daily from 12 till 6 pm except for Sundays and Mondays. Pictures by Vartan Seraydarian.
