The 8th edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR will take place from 21 to 24 September in the Lebanese capital with the renewed support of BANKMED.
Following the success of the 2016 edition, BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017 will feature a centerpiece exhibition curated by Rose Issa, an expanded REVEALING by SGBL section, the 6th edition of the BYBLOS BANK AWARD, the VIDEO BOX space presented by the MACAM, and a VIP program that gives exclusive access to the best Lebanese art collections.
In 2016, the exhibition LEBANON MODERN! highlighted the role of female artists in Lebanon between 1945 and 1975. In 2017, Rose Issa, a London-based writer, producer, and specialist in contemporary Middle-Eastern art, will curate an exhibition surveying contemporary creation in the region over the last ten years. Organized with the support of BANKMED, the exhibition will specifically highlight social, political, economic and memory issues in the contemporary art of the region.
This year, the REVEALING by SGBL section, in which a select group of galleries present the work of particularly promising young artists, will see its space increase significantly — by 66% compared to 2016.
The BYBLOS BANK AWARD offers encouragement to young Lebanese photographers by granting privileged access to the main actors of the art market: experts, galleries, collectors, media, etc. In 2017, the 6th edition of the award will include a workshop that gathers a selection of young artists under the tutelage of an established photographer. The results of this workshop will be exhibited in a dedicated space for the duration of the fair.
The Modern and Contemporary Art Museum (MACAM) in Byblos will continue its partnership with the fair in 2017. After presenting a selection of sculptors and art books in 2016, the museum will present VIDEO BOX, focusing on video creation in the region.
In order to promote familiarity with and understanding of the various regional art scenes, BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017 will present a series of roundtable discussions and debates, alongside a VIP program that includes visits to studios, private collections and museums.
Finally, BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017 will reunite the fair’s 2016 selection committee, comprised of members who reflect the specificities of the major collections present in Lebanon: Basel Dalloul (modern and contemporary artists with ties to the Arab world), Abraham Karabajakian (modern and contemporary artists), and Tarek Nahas (international contemporary photography).
The 2017 edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR will reinforce the event’s position as the key platform for networking and the discovery of talent in one of the most creative regions in the world.