Lost in the right direction is the second exhibition from AD Leb, a cultural space and digital platform dedicated to supporting cultural and artistic production in Lebanon and the surrounding region. Contemporary works by established and emerging artists, designers and artisans are displayed at an archaeological site in the mountains east of Beirut in a rare, public outdoor exhibition.

A combination of sculptures, photography, and design interventions will be installed across Deir El Kalaa – a Roman temple complex in the village of Beit Meri dating back to the first century A.D. – with a striking contrast between the contemporary and the ancient. Celebrating a broad diversity of creative expression, the exhibition offers a dynamic experience for visitors as they move around the site and interact with the works. Recurrent themes include nature and the Lebanese landscape, political turmoil and the upheaval of the pandemic, traditions and rituals, the fragility of life and the passage of time, loss, memory, and hope.

To facilitate a holistic approach, the participating creatives were first given tours by an archaeologist to inform their works. This has resulted in pieces which both draw inspiration from and channel the energy of Deir El Kalaa, contributing to AD Leb’s goal of reviving a rich historical site and adapting a public outdoor space – something significantly lacking in Lebanon – for people to enjoy.

Within the framework of the exhibition, workshops will also take place where artisanal practices and products will be showcased, shedding light on the importance of preserving and sustaining these endangered crafts. By encouraging organic collaborations between artists, designers and artisans, AD Leb aims to dismantle stereotypes that divide these disciplines and to challenge the convention of exhibiting them separately.

The exhibition’s title – Lost in the right direction – is a quote drawn from Gaïa Fodoulian’s Instagram page. An emerging designer herself, Gaïa developed the idea for AD Leb in early 2020 before her untimely death following the Beirut port explosion of 4 August that year. At the end of another turbulent year for Lebanon, this show offers a chance to connect and instigates a vital dialogue around the purpose and hope that can be found in creativity. The title also resonates more widely with global events following an unprecedented time throughout the pandemic. Whilst we are adapting and finding direction in a constantly shifting reality, we can find new meaning through artistic expression and via the broad perspective provided by history and culture.

Participating artists, designers, artisans and makers: Elias Anastas and Yousef Anastas; Lara Baladi; Huda Baroudi; Bisat Al Rih; Samer Bou Rjeily; Claudia Chahine; Karen Chekerdjian; Nohad El Daher; Oliver De Gem; Gilbert Debs; Nada Debs; Gaïa Fodoulian; Nouhad Hannaddaher; Maria Hibri; Hatem Imam; Rina Jaber; Roger Gemayel Lighting; Khalife Glass (Nisrine Khalife); Mohamad Kanaan; Natasha Karam; Marm Group Stone; Elie Morcos; Ricardo Mbarkho; Kamil Mrad; Hussein Nassereddine; Opus Magnum Gallery; Adrian Pepe; Nathaniel Rackowe; Pierre Rajha; Safa Group (Marwan Bou Ghanem); Mahmoud Safadi; Christine Safatly; Roula Salamoun; Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi; Caroline Tabet; Sibylle Tarazi; and Christian Zahr.

https://fb.me/e/2WabNMjbe

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