Stéphanie Saadé's 'The Encounter of the First and Last Particles of Dust' at Sursock Museum

Stéphanie Saadé's exhibition 'The Encounter of the First and Last Particles of Dust' at the Sursock Museum in Beirut explores dislocation, memory, and reconstruction through architectural interventions and everyday materials. The show's location is significant: the 4 August 2020 Beirut port explosion destroyed much of the museum, which reopened after extensive restoration three years later. Saadé's work draws on the museum's history and her personal experience. A site-specific intervention, 'Traversée des états (Crossing States)' (2024), covers the Twin Galleries floor with a full-scale replica of the artist's family home's flooring, creating a disorienting effect. Above it, terrazzo panels incorporate broken cassettes, vinyls, and CDs by Lebanese singer Fairuz. Beige curtains from Saadé's childhood home are embroidered with 37 routes she took during the Lebanese Civil War. 'Golden Memories' (2015–18) uses gold leaf to obscure a childhood photograph. 'Petits Papiers' (2022) assembles maps, stickers, tags, and receipts documenting her child's growth and Lebanon's economic crisis. Calligrams in multiple languages address displacement. 'Scarred Object' (2013) is a welded metal bar symbolizing resilience. The exhibition runs until 15 January 2026.