Saleh Barakat Gallery in Beirut hosts Tagreed Darghouth’s latest solo exhibition, ‘He Who Gazes at the Sea; The Man and the Land,’ opening on Thursday, September 12, until October 19, 2024. Darghouth is known for her compelling exploration of political realities, both within the region and globally. Her work often grapples with the tension between technology, surveillance, and the land, posing complex questions about visibility, control, and power.
In this new body of work, Darghouth explores the present-day Lebanese landscape in the aftermath of the financial collapse and the Beirut Port explosion. What could have been a catalyst for substantial change instead ignited a new wave of emigration. “He Who Gazes At The Sea,“ symbolised by the Statue of the Emigrant facing Beirut port, repeatedly packs his heavy suitcase and departs for distant shores, or wishes he could.
In this context of upheaval and uncertainty, the exhibition raises the question: can one, whether resident or immigrant, become a tourist in their homeland? The artist suggests this is possible. Acceptance of the present condition, coupled with a fear that attempts at change could backfire, leads to numbness as a form of self-defence. People begin to carefully select which landscapes to observe and simply wait. However, adopting this ‘tourist’ attitude carries risks of its own, and eventually backfires.
Darghouth explores the relationship between man and nature, interrogating the boundary between subject and surface. Her paintings seem to extract the subject from the thickness of the paint itself, pulling it from the silence within. This silence, however, is not peaceful; it is filled with tension and an underlying violence. The artist’s ability to zoom in and out of perspective, alternating between macro and micro views, is mirrored in her themes. She takes familiar, everyday objects and experiences—ones often laden with political and emotional weight—and concentrates on them until they demand attention.
The gradual collapse of the Beirut Port Silos reflects the slow disintegration of the concept of home, a place that no longer feels as it once did. Darghouth’s skies are charged with anxious energy, her work bearing witness to a quiet but undeniable judgement on selective vision, compelling viewers to confront what they might otherwise overlook.
Interview with the Tagreed Darghouth
You’ve described the figure of “He Who Gazes At The Sea” as symbolising the desire to leave Lebanon during these uncertain times. Can you tell us more about what inspired this figure? How has your personal experience or the stories you’ve witnessed shaped this character and the emotions he embodies in your work?
The Statue of the Emigrant facing the Beirut Port is the gazing man. Staring at the sea with a deep urge (or need) to leave. The sea is his escape route, a gateway to seeking new opportunities. Inside everyone of us resides a “statue of an emigrant”, but do we really leave? And when we don’t, do we really stay?
Could you share more about how this figure came to life in one of your specific works?
The fact that I never considered leaving Beirut before, but did so right after the Beirut port explosion, and how the statue strangely remained standing despite the immensity of the blast. The Statue of the Emigrant and what it represents are what remain “resilient”.
You mentioned the idea of becoming a ‘tourist’ in your homeland as a form of self-protection. How has this feeling of detachment affected your connection to Lebanon, and how do you feel it has influenced your artistic approach in this exhibition compared to your earlier works?
I think embracing the “tourist attitude” is currently a collective choice. The detachment is needed as a defence mechanism. The country’s troubled past and the shape of its present collapse puts in question everything. Not only the silos are falling, but the structure of the country, which probably explains the observational stance and the status quo.
How do you personally navigate these feelings of loss and change, and how do they find expression in your paintings? Does reflecting on this transformation offer any sense of healing or understanding for you?
I think the explosion was our wake-up call, but sadly, there was no response. The fall of the silos symbolises the fall of the country. We were fed an imaginary, nostalgic image of it that we never actually experienced. Regardless of the subject, painting always heals me. I left when the amount of anger and distractions made it impossible for me to paint. Inside the studio, I focus only on the aesthetics and how to advance my painting, while everything else remains outside.
About Tagreed Darghouth
Tagreed Darghouth employs figurative impressionism to explore themes such as violence, popular culture, and marginalised communities. Through powerful impasto layers and a focus on the surface, she addresses political realities in the Middle East and globally, challenging viewers to examine the limitations of human perception. Influenced by artists like Lucian Freud, Georg Baselitz, and Willem de Kooning, Darghouth studied at the Lebanese University of Fine Art and ENSAD in Paris. Since her first solo exhibition in Beirut in 2004, she has exhibited internationally, with notable shows in London, New York, Paris, and Dubai. Darghouth currently lives and works in the UAE.
Location: Saleh Barakat Gallery
Dates: September 12 – October 19, 2024