From March 28 to July 28, 2019, the Institute of Cultures of Islam presents “C’est Beyrouth”, exhibition curated by Sabyl Ghoussoub.
The works of sixteen photographers and videographers testify to the place of the individual, religion and community in Beirut today, since the Israeli-Lebanese conflict of 2006.
In the course of the meetings which punctuate this cultural season, C’est Beyrouth gives to see differently the upheavals and effervescence of the Lebanese society. Today we invite you to an extract of an interview with Cha Gonzalez for her series Abandon.
I spent all my adolescent years in Lebanon. I speak the language and for a long time felt more confortable there, than in France. I did not return while studying and I felt I needed to go back for my diploma project to take form there in Beyrouth. I did not know yet that I wanted to photograph the night life, but I met again a dear friend with whom I spend a lot of time going out at night, et that went well with my thoughts of the time: I linked the people and the buildings- during the day one see the facades, et at night one sees inside when the light are switch on.
Nine years after the beginning of the project, you went back to Beyrouth to finish this series for the exhibit «C’est Beyrouth», what was different from 2010 and what feelings did you have?
In 2010 I went mostly out in the bars, private parties, the ambiances more “groove” than« techno » So I cannot really compare; but strangely what I saw brought me back to my years of College in Lebanon, and to the parties I went to when I was an adolescent- the feeling that one has to be pretty while dancing, to be well dressed, not to make waves and to consume a lot. It was not really pleasant to be back in this context, but it it was more interesting to look for those who let go. That was not the case for all the parties, one of them stood out as much, with the more experimental music and the spirit that prevail, very free.
