A blend of Lebanese creativity and Brazilian inspiration at Tripoli's Fair

In the context of the designation of Tripoli as the Arab Capital of Culture in 2024, and the enlisting of the Tripoli Fair as World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO in 2023, the Embassy of Brazil in Beirut, Instituto Guimarães Rosa Beirut and Marsah invite you to the opening of the exhibition "Tripoli Fair: The Way I See It" Art Prize - Selected Works on April 12 from 6 to 9 pm at the Marsah space located behind the Municipality of El Mina in Tripoli.

The exhibition brings the 20 best artworks selected by the "Tripoli Fair: The Way I See It" Art Prize, promoted by the Embassy of Brazil in 2023 to raise awareness about the importance of conserving and thinking about the future of the fair, one of the most important modernist projects in the Arab World, designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

The exhibition will be on view until April 27, 2024 (Monday to Friday 12-8pm; Sat, 12-6pm; Closed on Sunday).

Believing in the power of art to foster critical thinking and intercultural dialogue, the Embassy of Brazil launched the “Tripoli Fair: The Way I See It” Art Prize in 2023. More than 180 entries were received from Lebanese and people living in Lebanon aged 18 to 35 years old. The 20 selected artworks displayed in the exhibition show a range of opinions, conceptual approaches, and artistic techniques – an amazing blend of Lebanese creativity and Brazilian Modernist inspiration.

Three winning artists received a USD 1000 prize each: Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, Mariam Maaliki and Mohamad Alamin Younis. The other artists whose works were selected and will be part of the exhibition are Anass Joudaydeh, Bachira El Aref, Carl Bilen, Diego Castro Alvarez, Lara Abi Saber, Leila Charafeddine, Malek Halwany, Mohamad Beirouty, Mohamad Tartoussi, Najib Sakr, Nizar Maaliki, Nour Maaliki, Pietro Bassil, Reem Rafei, Sara Rafihi, Stephanie Tager and Tharaa Captan.

An expert jury was invited to choose the winners, composed of artists, experts and representatives of relevant institutions in the fields of art, architecture and photography: Dr. Elsa Ghossoub; Dr. Farès Dahdah; Mr. Firas El Hallak; Ms. Joyce Jouma; Ms. Karina El Helou; and Dr. Wassim Naghi. The criteria for evaluation of artworks were creativity, technical quality, and adherence to the theme.

This is not the only cultural project sponsored by the Embassy of Brazil in Beirut promoting the Brazilian modern architecture heritage in Lebanon. Last year, for the first time, guided visits to the official residence of the Ambassador of Brazil focused on the architecture heritage were offered to a selected group of 80 students and professionals in the fields of architecture, arts and design. The residence was designed by Brazilian modernist architect Olavo Redig de Campos and built in the 1960s. The guided visits will be offered again this year, in Arabic and English, open to general public and free of charge.

- The Fair -

Considered one of the most important Modernist projects in the Arab World, the International Fair Rachid Karami was designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, also responsible for the Brazilian capital Brasília. Heavily damaged during the Lebanese civil war, the Fair now faces severe degradation and does not serve its original purpose.

The Fair occupies a 70-hectare site located between the historic center of Tripoli and the Al Mina port. The main building consists of a huge, covered hall in the shape of a boomerang of 750 meters by 70 meters, a flexible space for countries to install exhibitions. The Fair was the flagship project of Lebanon's modernization policy in the 1960s. According to UNESCO, the close collaboration between Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of the project, and Lebanese engineers gave rise to a remarkable example of exchange between different continents.

"In the context of the enlisting of the Tripoli Fair as World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO in 2023, and the celebrations of Tripoli as the Arab Capital of Culture in 2024, we hope these artworks raise awareness about the need to conserve the Fair and to make it part of the future that people want to build for Lebanon," the Embassy of Brazil in Beirut said in a statement.