National Library reopened
The Lebanese National Library has finally reopened its doors to the public!
Housed in the old Ottoman Sanayeh building, it is one of the cultural institutions and national treasures that suffered the most during the Lebanese civil war.
In 1999, the National Library was recognized as a national cultural project and that led to officially adopting the National Library Rehabilitation plan.
The Lebanese National Library was launched in 1921 with 20,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts bequeathed by Viscount Philippe de Tarrazi from his private collection.
Today, it is home to one of the region’s largest book collection, more than 300 000 works including thousands of invaluable manuscripts, rare religious books, a collection of atlases and maps, as well as other books and documents.
Article on France 24
Article in The Daily Star
Article in L'Orient Le Jour
Jessy Moussallem, rising filmmaker
We just read Jessy Moussallem‘s interview in L’Orient-Le Jour and we wanted to share some of her impressive work here with you.
In her interview, the talented filmmaker talks about what led her to work on Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moon’s video, her relationship with Lebanon, the challenges she faces and her more recent work on Agoria’s clip.
Jessy Moussallem pushes boundaries, her videos are emotional, powerful and edgy.
When Beirut meets Berlin
This is the second collaboration between the 2 Lebanese turntablists, (BBS’ very own) Rami O and Elie Francis aka Dj E.F When Beirut meets Berlin. Check out how it went down. #scratching #practiceyocuts #turntablism http://www.beirutsbrightside.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_3044.mp4
Happy streaming!
Music platform Spotify finally launched in Lebanon! This is a great way to discover local talents. Check out for example the selection of tracks from Lebanese indie Label Ruptured’s 2018 releases. Happy streaming everyone!
Abandoned Dwellings: A History of Beirut
Meet the talented Lebanese artist Gregory Buchakjian and his fascination for abandoned buildings around Beirut.
Check out his latest book, Abandoned Dwellings: A History of Beirut, published by Kaph Books, a fascinating overview of the city’s recent past, as explained through its buildings.
And don’t miss his solo exhibit at the Sursock Museum, Abandoned Dwellings: Display of Systems, curated by Karina el-Helou.
Check out the article on The National here
Humans of Arcenciel
We have always supported the work of arcenciel.aec the non profit organization striving to create a better future for Lebanon through their mobility program, hazardous waste program, health program and many other innovative services helping the most vulnerable citizens.
The social circus cirquenciel is one of those innovative projects helping the Youth by ‘community building through collaborative learning’.
#humansofarcenciel
Check out #arcencielminute for interesting facts and info.
And tune in to the BBS Stories podcast episode 4 we recorded a while back with our guests from aec, Kim and Miguel Issa sharing their story.
Baalbeck, 1972
We stumbled upon this amazing picture of Ella Fitzgerald performing on stage at the Baalbeck International Festival in 1972.
Who was there?
Baalbeck International Festival
#EllaFitzgerald #TheFirstLadyofSong #Baalbeck
Have you been to the NABU museum yet?
Located on the beachfront in Chekka El Heri (an hour drive north of Beirut), this new privately owned museum, named after the Mesopotamian god of literacy, is definitely worth the visit.
The Nabu Museum, recently opened in September offers a two-floor 1200 sq. m of exhibition space, a cube-shaped weathered steel and glass structure designed in collaboration with Iraqi-Canadian artist Mahmoud Obaidi and Iraqi artist Dia Azzawi
The beautiful collection ranges from Babylonian cuneiform tablets and Palmyran funerary busts to modern and contemporary art.
The free-entry museum houses a library and a collection of rare manuscripts. They will also host art residencies and a public program with talks and tours.
“In a region of seemingly constant turmoil and strife, the Nabu Museum provides a tranquil space for the preservation and creative pursuit of art and culture. It is designed to act as an institution for preserving and promoting Lebanese culture.”
Here are some pictures taken from their website nabumuseum.com
Lebanon, lend us your ears
“Despite the small market size, there are Lebanese podcasts out there. Leyla Nahas has been presenting the podcast Beirut Bright Side Stories (BSS Stories), an offshoot of a blog of the same name, since February 2017. She tells Executive that the podcast—which has produced six episodes so far and is composed of narratives and interviews—was a natural evolution of her and Rami Obeid’s blog, which aims to share positive stories from Beirut.”
‘Lebanese still have the potential to be a part of this podcast boom. We have the stories, and we have the passion, we just need content producers in this country to grab a mic and go for it—and we need people to listen.”
Thank you for the mention and for this in-depth article.
Check out the Executive Magazine article here
BBS is also part of their selection of Lebanese podcasts. Check out our profile here
Salon d’Automne since 1961
Don’t miss the 33rd Salon d’Automne exhibition at the Sursock Museum.
This open call exhibition brings together 31 artists working across all media, from painting and installation to video.
The Salon d’Automne has been held at the Sursock Museum since its opening in 1961 !
Here are the participants this year: Clara Abi Nader, Balsam Abo Zour, Gheith Al-Amine, Nour Aoude, Hala Ezzedine, Serene Ghandour, Till Heene, Shayma Kamel, Maria Kassab, Maha Kays and Ali Kays, Bettina Khoury Badr, Mohamad Kraytem, Rita Mahfouz, Fadi Mansour, Samar Mogharbel, Abdo El Moudawar, Tarek Moukaddem, Tarek Mourad, Maha Nasrallah, Hussein Nassereddine, Nada Rizk, Roï Saade, Zeina-Bacardi Sakr, Marie Saliba, Ieva Saudargaité Douaihi, Nasri Sayegh, Nour Sokhon, Adlita Stephan, Lara Tabet, Jacques Vartabedian, and Alain Vassoyan.
And check out here some of the exhibits' posters over the years.
