Hadjithomas and Joreige retrospective at Sursock Museum explores hidden histories through archaeology and poetry.
At Beirut's Sursock Museum, the exhibition 'Remembering the Light' highlights nearly ten years of artistic endeavors by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, and will be open until 4 September. Marking their first solo exhibit in Beirut since 2012, it features their acclaimed series 'Unconformities: What Lies Beneath our Feet,' which earned the Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2017, exploring urban histories via core samples. Notable pieces include 'I Stared at Beauty So Much' (2016-), 'Remembering the Light' (2016), 'Palimpsests' (2017), and 'Under the Cold River Bed' (2022). The exhibition invites reflection on conflict and memory in Lebanon's turbulent context and encourages visitors to engage with the 'Index of Sighs' (2024–) to challenge historical narratives.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Remembering the Light' runs until 4 September at Sursock Museum in Beirut
- Features nearly a decade of work by artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige
- Includes the 'Unconformities: What Lies Beneath our Feet' series, winner of the 2017 Marcel Duchamp Prize
- Show explores themes of conflict, memory, and transformation, resonating with Lebanon's current unrest
- Artists collaborated with engineer Philippe Fayad and archaeologist Hadi Choueri on core sample research
- Work 'Under the Cold River Bed' documents the discovery of Roman city Orthosia under Nahr el-Bared refugee camp
- Series 'I Stared at Beauty So Much' draws inspiration from poets Constantine Cavafy, Etel Adnan, and Georges Seferis
- Exhibition includes interactive piece 'Index of Sighs' where visitors contribute recorded sighs
Entities
Artists
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Constantine Cavafy
- Etel Adnan
- Georges Seferis
- Philippe Fayad
- Hadi Choueri
Institutions
- Sursock Museum
- Canvas
Locations
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Paris
- France
- Athens
- Greece
- Tripoli
- Nahr el-Bared
- Smyrna
- Izmir
- Turkey