Beirut's Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility at Gropius Bau

The exhibition "Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility" at Gropius Bau in Berlin examines a period of intense artistic and political activity in Beirut from the 1950s to the 1970s. Curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, the show features over 30 artists including Etel Adnan, Saloua Raouda Choucair, and Huguette Caland. A multimedia installation by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige was created specifically for the exhibition. The project is organized in collaboration with the 16th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art. The exhibition highlights how an influx of intellectuals from the Middle East and North Africa, alongside foreign capital encouraged by Lebanon's 1956 banking secrecy law, fueled a flourishing art scene with new galleries and museums. However, beneath the prosperity, tensions grew and eventually erupted into a 15-year civil war.