Fouad Elkoury's 'Passing Time' Chronicles Lebanon Through 160 Photos

Published in 2017 by Kaph Books, Fouad Elkoury's 'Passing Time' features a collection of 160 images drawn from his 50-year visual archive of Lebanon. This work, enriched by texts from art historian Gregory Buchakjian and writer Manal Khader, showcases the nation’s mountains, cities, and secluded villages amid their postwar transformation and swift growth. Elkoury's evocative photographs narrate Lebanon's story through its landscapes and infrastructure, paired with his candid reflections. A significant portion highlights ongoing real estate developments in Beirut. In 2009, while documenting the revamped downtown for developer Solider, Elkoury noted the destruction of historic neighborhoods for projects he deemed 'patently fake.' His layered images and multiple exposures symbolize the complexities of identity and interests. Elkoury co-founded the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut in 1997. His works, including a 1995 photograph of an abandoned building on Omar Daouk Street, reflect meticulous composition, while others from 1977 capture the scars of war. His contemplative photographs, inspired by the Arabic phrase 'mourour al zaman' (the passage of time), evoke themes of wandering, war remnants, and the essence of time itself.