NOUR SULAIMAN
BIG. BANG. BEIRUT.
Big Bang Beirut showcase the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion which took place on August 4, 2020 in Lebanon. The Beirut blast traumatised and exhausted the local population, leaving 300,000 individuals displaced or completely homeless. This also had deep repercussions for the Lebanese community and to those who are connected with Beirut as a space. The project creates a photomontage reflecting Beirut in a post crisis moment. Using selected images of the shocked, disturbed and outraged people alongside the broken buildings and different landscape shots. I will also be using photomontage to reflect expressive feelings and memories of Beirut. Another theme is the variation between the “here” and the “there”. This depicts the distance and disparity between the internal and direct experience by the locals of the Beirut port explosion on the one hand, and the external and indirect experience by the the global community at large who continue to enjoy their everyday lives from afar. I have also shown an Video that I shot, interviewing some of the locals, that experiencd the terifying blast Big Bang Beirut holds a sincere place in my heart, due to coming from a Lebanese background and having family living in Beirut, Beirut has always been a place I thrully enjoyed going to since childhood, the explosion has taken that away from many of the Beirut lovers.
I have been deeply affected by the work of Martha Rosler and Peter Kennard, my photomontage style is guided by their approach. Kennard is known for his political artwork, combining photomontage with his political mood. On the other hand, Rosler inspired the storyline of bringing the war home.
Our space is destroyed but we are not. Nour Sulaiman 2021