Watch Sultan’s AJ+ episode about Naim Ismail’s “Commemorative Photograph of Lebanon,” which explores the multiple layers of destruction that were caused by Lebanon’s fifteen year civil war. https://www.facebook.com/ajplusarabi/videos/1406446906065517/
Lebanon
Dia Azzawi: Good Morning Beirut (Handala)
In 1982, the Israeli siege of Beirut brought with it a world of suffering and destruction. In response to this, Palestinian artist and cartoonist Naji Al Ali, painted “Good Morning Beirut,” which depicted Handala presenting a flower through a hole in the wall to a young woman. This powerful scene of solidarity would later be recreated in a sculpture by Iraqi artist Dia Al Azzawi. Take a look with Sultan in this AJ+ Arabic story. Read more »
Dia Azzawi: Sabra & Shatila (the “Arab Guernica”)
On September 16, 1982, radio news bulletins described an Israeli sanctioned massacre in the Palestinian camps in Sabra and Shatilla, west of Beirut, Lebanon. One of those listening was Iraqi artist Dia Al Azzawi. Take a look at his response to the massacre in this AJ+ Arabic story, with Sultan. Read more »
Charbel-Joseph Boutros: From Water to Water
A conceptual art piece that discusses the estranged relationship between an immigrant and their country of origin once the immigrant returns. Take a close look with Sultan in thus AJ+ Arabic story. Read more »
Beirut re-brushed
In an Al-Monitor article in 2013, I suggested that partly because of the civil strife, traditional core cities in the Arab world such as Damascus, Cairo and Baghdad are facing, as well as increased cultural investments by Gulf states, the center of gravity for art and culture in the Arab world was shifting eastward to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. The article created controversy both within the Gulf states and the wider Arab world. Read more »
Rumours of Expulsion of Lebanese Shia From the UAE
Over the past few weeks two unfounded rumors about the United Arab Emirates have snowballed on the pages of some newspapers in the Arab world and have even been picked up by newswires. Some media organizations seem so inclined to print negative news about this country that once they have exhausted the typical stories about the effects of the global financial crisis on the UAE, they no longer have an issue with presenting negative rumors as facts. Read more »