Galerie Janine Rubeiz presents the opening of Dalia Baassiri’s second solo show titled ‘The Harvest’ from June 12, until July 12, 2024. The artworks were produced during Baassiri’s residency at Ashkal Alwan in 2023.
For the past three years, the Baassiri has collected various elements, primarily wall fragments from the Fayyad Building facing the port of Beirut after the explosion but also burnt candles left post-prayers in Harissa, and broken tree branches scattered across Beirut’s streets, intentionally cut to make charcoal for shisha smokers. The artist views these items as embodiments of ‘vulnerability.’ Stored in boxes, they await the changing seasons. Once mature, they are spread around her studio, allowing them to tell their stories after long periods of silence.
Through the process of assemblage, the fragments transformed into compositions that revealed their intrinsic properties, occasionally blending with other elements. At times, they coalesced into a single entity.
Baassiri has been obsessively in search of fragile entities with significant stories, considered the raw materials of her work. Upon discovery, these objects are given new, solid lives by embracing their delicacy and strengthening them with adhesives. This obsession raised questions for the artist: Is vulnerability contagious? Do we become a product of our environment? Does living daily in an unstable setting like Lebanon make us particularly attuned to fragments and ruptures? Is the artist constructing a self-portrait through these clusters of broken pieces, or is this desire to preserve and merge a form of adaptation?
Acrylic, wall paint collected from Fayyad Building (post-Beirut Explosion), graphite, threads, hot glue sticks, organza fabric, archival glue and varnish on canvas, 53 x 61cm
About Dalia Baassiri
Dalia Baassiri, born in Sidon in 1981, is a Lebanese visual artist. She holds a BS in Graphic Design (2003) from the Lebanese American University, Beirut, and an MA in Fine Art (2012) from Chelsea College of Arts, London. Growing up during the Civil War, Baassiri explores her identity with a country in constant conflict. Her interdisciplinary work, spanning drawing, painting, and sculpture, finds refuge in the domestic sphere. Her art interrogates the familiar elements of home, from dust to walls.
Her work has been exhibited globally at venues like Mathaf (Doha), Galerie Janine Rubeiz (Beirut), Art Dubai, and Venice’s Arsenale Nord. Her solo shows include “Wiped Off” (2017) and “The Harvest” (2024). Baassiri has received awards from Fabriano, Maraya, and the Lebanese Web Design, and her sculptures have been finalists at the Celeste Prize (London) and Arte Laguna Prize (Venice). She has held residencies at Kempinski (Berlin), Siena Art Institute (Italy), Residency Unlimited (Brooklyn), Sculpture Space (Utica), Fallani Venezia, Espronceda Institute (Barcelona), and Ashkal Alwan (Beirut).
Location: Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut
Dates: 12 June – 12 July, 2024