Galerie Janine Rubeiz presents ‘Dans le Creux du Chaos’ a solo exhibition by Bassam Geitani from the 6th of March until the 5th of April, 2024.
Bassam Geitani’s exhibition explores collective memory and our responsibility in the face of tragedies. Through his artworks, the artist has sought to awaken viewers to the acute awareness of crucial issues that define our era. At the heart of this exhibition lies a mural installation. A green metal profile stands before the viewer, forming an evocative representation of the devastation inflicted upon Beirut during the explosion on August 4, 2020. Fragments of metal from balcony railings and concrete debris intertwine with shreds of clothing, creating a material and emotional composition. This piece vividly recalls the consequences of the event underscoring the importance of remembering to prevent such situations in the future.
Another part of Geitani’s exhibition is a series of white canvases. These canvases, like snapshots of the catastrophe, express the psychological and emotional repercussions that ensued. The whiteness of these canvases, punctuated by scratches and wounds, evokes a blank page marked by the scars of history. They prompt the viewers to contemplate the erasure of a city’s cultural identity and the urgent need for reconstruction and preservation to enable complete healing within the affected community.
This exhibition serves as a visual metaphor for the chaos and devastation that befell Beirut. It reminds the viewers that the explosion left marks on the lives of those affected, while also leaving a similar imprint on the people’s collective understanding of the event. The artist uses typical elements of the tragic Beirut explosion and creates these white canvases that evoke notions of purity yet allude to the absence of clarity and truth. The artist’s objective is to stimulate reflection on the consequences of tragedies and the need to build a future imbued with peace, resilience, and the overcoming of chaos.
About Bassam Geitani
Born in Riyaq, Bekaa, Lebanon, in 1962, Bassam Geitani resides and works in Beirut after over a decade in Paris. He holds a Master’s in Art from the University Paris I – Sorbonne and currently teaches art at the Lebanese American University (LAU). Geitani’s artistic practice spans painting, installation, film, and performance. Throughout his remarkable career, he has held various solo exhibitions and participated in collective shows in cities like Washington, Beirut, Paris, London, and Abu Dhabi. His exhibitions with Galerie Janine Rubeiz include “Psychology of Matter” (1998), “The Unfolding” (2001), “Steel Sweat” (2007), “The Pendulum” (2011), “Wink” (2014), “Shathaya” (2015), “Nature Nature” (2019), and “In the Hollow of Chaos” (2024). He also contributed to the exhibition “Brushes for Pens” in 2006, benefiting the Foundation of the National Library of Lebanon. Geitani’s work has been showcased in various fairs and cultural centres, such as Art Dubai, Sursock Museum, “Artist’s View” in London, “Francophone Faces” in Cahors, France, and “Rebirth” at the Beirut Exhibition Center. His installation “Shathaya” (shrapnels) was exhibited for six months at “Manarat Al Saadiyat” during the Abu Dhabi Art fair in 2016.
Location: Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
Date: March 6 – April 5, 2024
Caption featured image: Bassam Geitani, Ellipse Narrative, 2023, acrylique, collage de tissu et dechirure sur toile, 190x275cm