Two explosions in Beirut on August 4 left parts of the city severely damaged and killed over 200 people, according to a report by the BBC on August 10. The event’s impact on the Beirut’s art community has also been widely felt, with artists displaced from their homes or studios and institutions, and with key galleries and museums, including the Sursock Museum and Sfeir-Semler Gallery, having weathered serious structural harm. In response, a number of artists and institutions have established funds and initiatives to support relief efforts in the city. Below is a guide to five endeavors intended to aid Beirut and its art scene.
Mophradat has established an emergency fund for artists and institutions in Beirut.
The Brussels-based arts nonprofit Mophradat created a relief fund for members of Beirut’s arts community. A letter by Mai Abu ElDahab, the organization’s director, and Walid Raad, an artist who serves as president of its board, states that Mophradat intends to “make choices that can have lasting consequences, while prioritizing those already disadvantaged, and those who influence in a thoughtful manner the community around them” when distributing funds. The statement also encourages peers and colleagues of the organization to reach out with suggested initiatives and organizations to which money might be directed. Mophradat said that it will inform recipients of its newsletter “of the priorities and process of distribution” in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the organization is accepting donations to fund via bank transfer and PayPal.
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Art Relief for Beirut encourages artists to donate works to raise funds for relief organizations.
The Instagram account Art Relief for Beirut is offering works by various artists and directing buyers to pay via donations to Impact Lebanon and the Lebanese Red Cross. Run by the artist Mohamad Kanaan, the initiative announced on Monday that it had raised $77,000 since August 7. Artworks by Diana Halabi, Younès Rahmoun, Charwei Tsai, Ahmed Morsi, and Rafael Domenech, and others have been presented on the Instagram page.
Gulf Photo Plus is selling prints to benefit the Lebanese Red Cross.
The Dubai-based photography center Gulf Photo Plus is hosting a print sale, titled “For the Love of Beirut,” on its website. Organized in collaboration with the creative platform Ruwa, the sale sends proceeds to the Lebanese Red Cross and features works by over 60 artists, including Mohammed AlKouh, Elsie Haddad, Newsha Tavakolian, Omar Sfeir, and Dania Hany.
Artist Nima Nabavi is giving prints to those making donations to the Lebanese Red Cross.
Nima Nabavi, who is based in Dubai and creates geometric abstractions, wrote in a post on Instagram that he is gifting 15 prints to anyone making a donation of $50 or more directly to the Lebanese Red Cross. He asks that donors send the receipt from their contribution to him, after which they can claim a print. “I have already paid for the prints and have them in hand, so no portion of your contribution goes towards cost or production in any way whatsoever,” the artist wrote, adding that buyers can pick up prints at Dubai’s Third Line Gallery, which represents him.
Artist Fundraiser for Beirut has organized a 24-hour livestream to benefit relief organizations.
From August 12 to 13, the Artist Fundraiser for Beirut will stream films, live performances by musicians, and more content to raise funds for relief efforts in Beirut. Organized in part by journalist Maytha Alhassen, the event will be viewable on Twitch, featuring contributions by artists Sulaïman Majali, Reman Sadani, Dala Nasser, Firas Shehadeh, and others, as well as musical performances by Tamtam, Thanks Joey, Moe Zein, and more. The program schedule for the livestream is available here.
Source: artnews.com