Gabriele Basilico’s Beirut Photography in Alessandria Exhibition

A decade after the death of Gabriele Basilico (Milan, 1944–2013), the city of Alessandria dedicates an exhibition to his work in Beirut. The show presents four series of photographs from as many missions in the Lebanese city. In 1991, Basilico was called by Lebanese writer Dominique Eddé, on behalf of the Hariri Foundation, to document the war-torn city center. Twelve years later, Stefano Boeri, then director of Domus, commissioned him to document reconstruction from the same viewpoints. In 2008, Basilico independently continued documenting Beirut’s rebuilding. In 2011, he participated in a second documentation mission for the Hariri Foundation. The exhibition is accompanied by a volume published by Contrasto. Basilico’s practice of returning to the same place over time offered evolving readings that reflected his artistic development. The results differ from those in other cities, especially his beloved Milan.