Macam: Lebanon’s modern and contemporary art museum

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Updated 29 January 2014
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Macam: Lebanon’s modern and contemporary art museum

Lebanon and its people never cease to surprise. Despite the challenging times the country is experiencing, an enterprising couple has created the first Modern and Contemporary Art Museum in Lebanon. MACAM as it is known, is a new cultural institution dedicated to exhibiting, documenting, and preserving art in Lebanon. Nazeem El Khoury, a Lebanese minister officially inaugurated the museum on June 29.
The museum itself is located on the hilltop of Alita, in the district of Jbeil/Byblos. The Recto Verso Library in Monot Street, in Beirut, is also an outreach venue documenting art in Lebanon and offering numerous cultural activities.
“We started a few months ago as an NGO with the basic requirement of land and a building. We do not have a collection nor do we have the funds to acquire one. At this early stage, we have not made the effort to have a collection, as we can function well with loans without worrying about acquisitions, as the artists trust us and are generous in loaning us their work. The museum consists of two adjacent old factories with high ceilings; we do not have climate control on the premises to exhibit paintings. At this stage, we exhibit only sculptures, stone, metal, wood, ceramics and installations. We are planning to add in the near future a special floor to accommodate paintings and related media,” said Gabriele Schaub, one of the co-founders of this cultural venture alongside Cesar Nammour.
MACAM’s co-founders acknowledge that modern art in Lebanon began in painting with Khalil Saleeby in the early 20th century and in sculpture by Michel Basbous in the middle of the 20th century, while installation art originated in the eighties.
“Modern art in Lebanon abides by the general rules of aesthetics, in spite of its tendency toward experimentation in different materials and styles. Installation art does not follow at all the same rules and it is often three dimensional though inscriptions, video, sound, and light are considered, after the eighties, as installations; installation aims to provoke thoughts about social, political and philosophical issues, and change our perception of visual matters,” explained Nammour.
MACAM’s permanent exhibition of sculptures are practically all loaned by the artists themselves starting with Youssef Howayek, the three Basbous brothers (Michel, Youssef, and Alfred), Salwa Choukair and Zaven. Salwa Choucair’s talent in sculpting has been recognized worldwide. She was given a special award for sculpture from the Union of Arab Artist.
“We aim to display a panorama of Lebanese sculpture. Our criterion is that the artist has either exhibited in a gallery or has been part of the art scene in the country. We therefore exhibit all schools, styles and media in sculpture. We also like to introduce talented sculptors who are not known to the public such as Saleh, a wood sculptor (who passed away a few years ago), and Mario Saba, an installation artist. Mario Saba’s work expresses the paradoxes of life and humanity’s aggressiveness and stupidity.
One of MACAM’s specificity is its willingness to preserve installations. Installations require a lot of space, which is not available in the city. MACAM provides 10,000 square meters of land and 4,000 square meters of closed space with possibilities for expansion in the future.
Installation artwork incorporates a broad range of everyday and natural materials as well as new media such as video, sound, performance and the Internet.
Installation art originated in the 1970s but its roots can be linked to earlier artists such as Marcel Duchamp with his use of the readymade and Kurt Schwitters’ Merz art objects, rather than more traditional craft based sculpture.
Installation art can be defined as an artistic tryst between time and space, in which the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste) are aroused. Installation art was deeply influenced by two American artists Kaprow and Cage, who were at the vanguard of an anti-establishment in the 1950s, which sought to create “art which cannot be art”.
Despite the power, poignancy and success that installation art now enjoys, many viewers and patrons have reservations about it, and consider it the “devaluation of art”.
“This genre of art is often three dimensional, site-specific and is often conceptual and provocative. Installations are ephemeral, when the exhibition comes to an end they are dismantled and often disposed of. As this form of art is the art of this age, we feel a responsibility as a museum to preserve, document and pass them to the coming generations,” said Nammour.
The Modern and Contemporary Art Museum is planning to create interesting events that will attract a wide audience such as competitions, artists in residence, music and theater performances.
Partnerships with other museums are also instrumental in organizing guest exhibitions.
MACAM is more than an exhibition space. It fosters talent and creativity, provides the place, the information, and the events that bring people and art together.

Email: Lisakaaki@arabnews.com


Saudi handicrafts on show at London's Selfridges

Updated 2 min 9 sec ago
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Saudi handicrafts on show at London's Selfridges

RIYADH: The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) is showcasing traditional handicrafts from the Kingdom at luxury department store Selfridges in London from June 3-22.

The initiative is taking place during Saudi Arabia’s Year of Handicrafts and is in collaboration with British charity organization Turquoise Mountain, which works to support the production of traditional crafts around the world.

The collection celebrates diverse Saudi artisans and features intricate palm crafts, delicate jewelry and accessories, and fine leatherwork, with an emphasis on showcasing the differences between various regional styles in Saudi Arabia.

The showcase is being held alongside an exhibition of fashion designs, held by the Saudi 100 Brands initiative.

A key milestone in the CDF’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s cultural sector is the recent launch of the Nama’ Accelerators: Handicrafts Track — a dedicated solution that supports cultural businesses through specialized training, mentorship, and financial incentives.


Artist Massoud Hayoun’s London exhibition ‘Stateless’ explores identity, exile

Updated 25 min 31 sec ago
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Artist Massoud Hayoun’s London exhibition ‘Stateless’ explores identity, exile

DUBAI: Los Angeles-based artist and author Massoud Hayoun has spent his career exploring identity, exile and resistance. 

His latest exhibition, “Stateless,” running at London’s Larkin Durey art gallery until June 27, is an exploration of control, culture and community.

His paintings are imbued with the legacy of his Egyptian and Tunisian Jewish heritage. (Supplied)

Raised by his grandparents, Hayoun paints their stories of exile, love and resilience in shades of blue, blending personal narratives with icons of Arab cinema and song to highlight shared cultural memories. 

His paintings are imbued with the legacy of his Egyptian and Tunisian Jewish heritage, but they also reach beyond his own family’s history. His grandfather left Egypt, and his mother was born without citizenship — experiences that deeply inform his work. 

In “Stateless,” he extends this exploration of displacement and belonging to other communities, particularly Palestinians and undocumented Americans, he told Arab News. “In this show, you’ll find people suspended between homeland and refuge, suspended in mid-air, suspended between life and death and living out a sort of existentialist heroism, suspended in undying romance,” he said.

Hayoun’s journey to painting was shaped by his background in journalism. (Supplied)

Hayoun’s journey to painting was shaped by his background in journalism. A former journalist, he is also the author of “When We Were Arabs,” a book on Arab identity that won an Arab American Book Award and was named a National Public Radio best book of the year in 2019. 

His transition from writing to painting was a natural evolution. “I am a figurative painter — I paint people. My journalism was animated by a love of people and a desire to better understand, through interviews like this, people from walks of life drastically different to my own,” he said.

His use of blue is deliberate. Initially reserved for people who had died, the color now engulfs all his subjects, evoking the transient nature of identity and existence. “At first, I only painted my grandparents and other dead people in shades of blue, because to my mind, the glow of it seemed ghostly. I cast other people in different colors to signify other states of being. Eventually, after reflections on time, everyone became blue, even myself,” he said.

The artist's use of blue is deliberate. Initially reserved for people who had died, the color now engulfs all his subjects.  (Supplied)

Yet, at its core, Hayoun’s work is about more than politics — it is about love. “These works touch on sweeping political, philosophical and sociological issues, but they are fundamentally about love for people,” he said. 

“They are meant in the way my grandparents expressed anxiety as a kind of love—fear for my well-being, fervent hopes that I live well and in dignity. These paintings are explosions of love,” he added. 


Moroccan women embroider ‘art with purpose’

Updated 01 June 2025
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Moroccan women embroider ‘art with purpose’

  • Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people
  • Some of their works have been shown internationally

SIDI RBAT, Morocco: In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to create collaborative works of textile art, and also earn a living.

Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally.

“This project has changed my life,” said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director.

“And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before,” she told AFP.

Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labor and a lack of opportunity.

An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference.

Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father’s native village of Sidi R’bat, around 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Agadir, to fulfil her “dream to make art with purpose.”

The project uses textiles and old photographs to explore her family heritage before they left the country in the 1960s, turning sepia-toned portraits and scenes into large silk-and-linen canvases.

The North African country was a protectorate of France before gaining its independence in 1956.

The project is more than just personal for Derhy — it also provides local women in the small fishing village employment.

“I wanted to be engaged on the ground,” said Derhy, adding that she hired 10 local women to work full-time for a monthly salary exceeding Morocco’s private-sector minimum wage of 3,045 dirhams ($330).

The women’s hands glide over frames that were once used by Paris’s prestigious Maison Lesage, the world-famous embroidery house that has worked with some of the greatest names in fashion.

The creative process is collaborative, with Derhy drawing an outline and the team then gathering to choose the threads and color palette for each section.

A canvas can take up to five months to complete.

The finished works, priced at up to $5,620, have been shown in exhibitions in Marrakech, Paris and Brussels. Future exhibits are planned for Casablanca’s L’Atelier 21 and Tabari Artspace Gallery in Dubai.

The workshop has also helped to challenge perceived ideas about women in the village.

“At first, some of the women had to hide to come because it was frowned upon,” said Khadija Ahuilat, 26, who oversees operations.

She said some people thought the project “was nonsense, and a woman should stay at home.”

“But we managed to change that. I’m very proud to have contributed to this change, even if on a small scale.”

Her mother, Aicha Jout, 50, a widow who once gathered mussels and raised livestock to support her family, is now one of the embroiderers.

“It changes a lot for me to be here,” she said.

“I love the idea of embroidering on pictures, but also of passing on the craft to other women.”

Jout learned to embroider at the age of 12, and has trained the rest of her mostly single or widowed colleagues.

“There aren’t really a lot of job opportunities here, so when the chance came I didn’t hesitate for a second,” said Haddia Nachit, 59, one of the workshop’s most efficient embroiders.

Her nickname among the women is “TGV” — after France’s high-speed train.

Seated next to Nachit, Fadma Lachgar, also 59, said the work allowed her to help her family.

“Resuming embroidery at my age, after 20 years of stopping, is a blessing,” she said.


Basmah Felemban unpacks memory, identity in Riyadh solo show ‘Vessel of Wreckage’

Updated 30 May 2025
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Basmah Felemban unpacks memory, identity in Riyadh solo show ‘Vessel of Wreckage’

RIYADH: Seasoned Saudi artist Basmah Felemban’s work will make you think. In her latest solo exhibition, “Vessel of Wreckage,” which runs at ATHR Gallery in Riyadh until June 26, she combines elements that many of us can relate to while being authentically, fully herself.  

“In the past five or six years, my practice has been really an investigation of my family roots from Indonesia and — kind of as a result of getting into sci-fi — to have some imaginary explanations of those reasons why they came from Indonesia to Saudi, because I failed at the factual research, really,” Felemban, who lives and works between London and Jeddah, tells Arab News. 

“When did my family move? This is one of the mysteries — part of the myth of the family. I have no idea. I’d say that my granddad came to Saudi for work, probably in the Seventies. But I’d learned that Felemban, our last name, comes from an island called Palembang, so in kindergarten I used to tell people I was a princess because I’m used to, like, the Al-Saud family and Saudi Arabia, so I thought since I’m Felemban from Palembang, I must be a princess.” 

Growing up, Felemban assumed that they had no Saudi relatives, until her brother serendipitously found out that they had cousins in town.  

“I realized, ‘Oh! We do have extended family here; we’re just not connected to them.’ And that’s also part of the myth and the lore of our family story. Once I realized that, it kind of clicked with me that our identities are really just a construct — it doesn’t really matter if they’re factual. I don’t think my family intentionally tried to lie. I think they believed this was the story.” 

All of this was part of Felemban’s world building.  

“I think, in Hejaz in general, people came from all over and there was this whole umbrella under which we wanted to identify as ‘Saudi’ for a lot of time. Like, if you speak to me about anything Indonesian, I would have no idea, because my family really assimilated,” she says, adding that she hopes to visit Indonesia soon.  

“I wouldn’t say I feel like I’m part of a diaspora, even if I am, factually. But I think Saudi is a very specific, special case in terms of identity. I feel like I’m more interested in the family story and why their connections are the way they are. 

“I didn’t grow up in an environment where ours was a weird story,” she adds. “Even my friends that are Bedouin are still also away from where they are from.” 

Here, Felemban talks us through several works from the show. 

‘Pulang (To Go Home)’ 

Photo: AN/Huda Bashatah

There are five ship windows looking out on five different topics that I researched, from facts to absurd sci-fi stories. They’re videos collected from YouTube — just rabbit holes I fell into. I really like to document my research and my notes, then my work grows like a mind map — I connect words and then try to connect concepts between those words and visuals. The first window starts with a propaganda documentary about the colonial history of Indonesia and its impact on folklore dances and music. Then a scene that a lot of my world is based on; Indonesian pilgrims reciting a religious song about the prophet. 

I realized that another connection between Indonesia and Saudi is catfish — another creature of myth. A few years ago, people realized that there’s a lot of huge catfish in Wadi Hanifa and they started to ask: How did they come here? I like that, as a myth. In Indonesia, the catfish is a really huge asset, but also has some negative connotations.  

‘Fish from the Ground’ 

This work talks about the catfish myth. They are an invasive species and tend to be really vicious and really quick to adapt, so in less than a couple of hundreds of years it was able to evolve from swimming to being able to ‘walk,’ almost on land. That’s likely where the term ‘catfishing’ comes from.  

‘Wave Catcher’ 

When I was approached by the Islamic Arts Biennale (in 2023), I thought, ‘My work is quite futuristic, very colorful and digital, so how can (make it fit) in?’ I think of this work like an ancient machine used by the catfish to collect data by listening to sounds of the calls to prayer from countries around the Red Sea. And by hearing it, the fish are able to measure distances, and study the water and such. That thought was based on research from lectures from scientists. 

‘The Gömböc, the Turtle and the Evolution of Shape’ 

Photo: AN/Huda Bashatah

This is a game based on a lecture by a scientist. If you put the headphones on, you can hear the lecture and then when you reach the top of this fish mountain, there’s a room that has a table that also existed in the lecture and you can interact with that. It’s a video game I made with my husband. He’s an economist so he helps me a lot with conceptualizing what data could be like — that kind of geeky aspect of my work. It’s very experimental and it’s a little bit janky — in the best way possible!  

‘Elemental Sprite’ series  

These AI works — “Sphere,” “Rod,” “Disc,” and “Blade” (shown here) — are based on some of the same research as “Wave Catcher,” which is some sort of mathematical study of pebbles and the way that pebbles change in nature. But also, if you scan one of the squares, it animates. I’m very much a digital artist at heart and AI is something I’m really interested in, but I have to say that I don’t use AI in engines; I use sort of ‘offline AI.’ I use the modules themselves, the interfaces. Every six months, AI completely changes in quality because it really develops, and I learn more too. This is almost like a documentation of my learning curve, and of the technology itself. 

‘Before Asphalt’ 

These are pictures that I stole from my dad before he passed away. He used to work at the municipality, and these were pictures from the Nineties documenting some of the potholes around Jeddah. I like to think of the city as a galaxy and the potholes as portals. The yellow looks like slime — I’m definitely a cartoon girl and this is like “(Teenaged Mutant) Ninja Turtles” sludge. I think maybe it’ll appear again in another work and I’ll get more into this portal idea. 


Recipes for success: Chef Georges Ikhtiar offers advice and a tasty beef recipe 

Updated 30 May 2025
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Recipes for success: Chef Georges Ikhtiar offers advice and a tasty beef recipe 

DUBAI: Georges Ikhtiar, head chef at Amelia Dubai, grew up in Beirut, where he remembers watching his mother cook “by instinct, without recipes or rules.”  

That early exposure sparked a curiosity not just for flavors, but for the process of cooking — how ingredients transform, how timing and technique matter. This eventually led him to Lebanon’s Ecole Hôtelière. 

A pivotal career moment came during his time in Peru, where he was introduced to the country’s bold, acidic and layered flavors. This now shapes his approach at Amelia, where he blends Peruvian ingredients with Japanese methods. 

Amelia Dubai. (Supplied)

Here, Ikhtiar reflects on how mistakes can lead to creative breakthroughs, and gives his thoughts on simplicity in cooking.  

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made? 

Like many young chefs, I believed that more was more — that adding extra ingredients or steps would somehow elevate a dish. I loved experimenting, and while that spirit of curiosity still drives me today, I’ve learned that simplicity is key. The most powerful flavors often come from restraint and letting the ingredients speak for themselves. 

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs? 

Taste constantly. It’s the most important tool you have. And don’t let mistakes throw you off — every error is a lesson. Some of the best ideas I’ve had started as accidents. Cooking at home should be fun, not stressful. 

What’s one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish? 

In Peruvian cuisine, it’s definitely lime. It brings brightness, aroma and a sense of freshness that can completely transform a dish. Just a few drops can awaken the palate and sharpen and enhance every other flavor. 

What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home? 

A simple truffle pasta. I soak the pasta to speed up the cooking time, then toss it with a creamy truffle sauce, fresh shaved truffles and parmesan. It’s rich, comforting and comes together fast, but still feels luxurious. 

Amelia Dubai. (Supplied)

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

Always. It’s part of the job. I’m always observing, analyzing, and seeing what I like or don’t like. But I keep it to myself; dining out is also about experiencing what other chefs are creating. 

What’s the most common mistake you notice in other restaurants? 

It’s usually to do with balance or execution, like undercooked elements, seasoning that is off, or dishes that feel overcomplicated. 

What’s your favorite cuisine? 

I gravitate toward Japanese and Peruvian food, naturally, but I’m always curious to explore. I like to see how others approach flavor, presentation and structure. Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places. 

What request or behavior by customers most annoys you? 

Honestly, nothing. I believe taste is subjective and the customer is always right. We’re here to create an experience that works for them, not just for us. 

Georges Ikhtiar grew up in Beirut. (Supplied)

What’s your favorite dish to cook? 

It is a dish called Adas be Hamid, which means lentils with lemon. My grandmother used to make it when I was growing up in Beirut. It’s incredibly simple but full of flavor and warmth. Cooking it always takes me back to my roots, and I love how food has the power to do that. 

What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right? 

Risotto. It’s a very delicate dish that reacts to everything — temperature, timing, movement, even the humidity. You have to be fully present when making it. One misstep and the whole texture is off. 

As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laidback? 

I’m direct and hands-on, but not someone who shouts. I believe in open communication, mutual respect and building trust. My team and I have worked together for a long time, so we understand each other without needing to say much. There’s a flow in the kitchen when everyone is aligned, and that’s what I strive for. 

Chef Georges Ikhtiar’s hokkaido machu picchu recipe 

Ingredients: 

For the beef: 

250g beef tenderloin 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Cooked over a robata grill (or any hot grill pan) 

For the teppanyaki vegetables: 

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

20g Chinese cabbage, chopped 

3 rainbow baby carrots, sliced 

20g mange tout (snow peas) 

10g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 

20g baby corn, halved 

1 spring onion, thickly sliced 

2 tbsp soy sauce 

2 tbsp kimchi sauce 

2 tbsp sake sauce (optional for extra depth) 

For the shiitake sauce: 

300g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 

1L fresh cream 

200ml milk 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

1 small onion, chopped 

1 tbsp butter 

Instructions:  

1. Grill the beef: 
Season beef with salt and pepper. Grill on a robata grill until cooked to your liking. Let it rest before slicing. 

2. Sauté the vegetables: 

Heat oil in a pan. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes. 
Add soy sauce, kimchi sauce, and sake sauce (if using). Stir well and cook until just tender. Season with pepper. 

3. Make the shiitake sauce: 
In a saucepan, sauté onions and mushrooms in butter until soft. 
Add cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer. Boil twice to bring out full flavor, then remove from heat. 

To plate: 

Slice the grilled beef. 

Place the sautéed vegetables on a serving plate. 

Lay the beef slices on top. 

Spoon the warm shiitake sauce to the side or over the top. 

Optional: If using a hot stone for serving, you can lightly reheat the meat on it just before eating for a fun finishing touch.