For the past five years, photographer Marie-Noelle Fattal has been capturing the smaller details of daily life in the streets of Beirut, from candid photos of residents to scenic snaps of architecture and alleyways.
When the Aug. 4 blast ravaged Mar Mikhael, an area Fattal had documented many times, her photos stood in a stark contrast to the destruction left behind by the explosion. Her exhibition “Ephemeres,” now up at Beyt Mar Mikhael, showcases four series that seek to remind people about the everyday charm and character that the area is working hard to rebuild.
“I made a photography book in 2017 called Beirut Footsteps but have never done an exhibition like this,” Fattal told The Daily Star. “A year ago I wanted to do something but it was not clear in my head. Then came the thawra [uprising], the pandemic, and then Aug. 4.
Discover Beirut through the eyes of Marie-Noëlle Fattal, a different perspective. https://t.co/giYHM5x79S pic.twitter.com/ODUPgwM540
— Librairie Stephan (@LibStephan) December 6, 2017
“Because in July 2020 I had taken a series of photographs of Mar Mikhael called ‘12th Floor,’ just before the blast, from my balcony, I thought now was the time and everything was ready for an exhibition,” she added. “It’s an area that I always walk around and take pictures of but after the blast I couldn’t come and see it.
“Everyone was taking action and I was admiring them but felt weak and unable to help, but through this exhibition I felt I was doing something, giving a little contribution and saying we’re going to resist and continue in the areas we love.”
The series shows people enjoying the summer weather on their balconies, some hanging laundry on the railings of once-opulent buildings that have stood the test of time and snap of a lockdown project where someone had converted their roof into a summer terrace, inflatable pool, deck chairs and plants included.
Marie-Noelle Fattal signs her book Beirut Footsteps at Liza Beirut restaurant.
more at: https://t.co/7G2ier9XiG pic.twitter.com/oawvTGtWYW— RPN Lebanon ?? (@rpnlebanon) December 2, 2017
Her other series show some of subtleties that make remind people of walking through the area, such as “Of Dogs and Humans,” which looks at the relationship between people and man’s best friend. Locals are captured walking their hounds or dogs are shown keeping watch of their owner’s storefront, or else watching people pass from balconies.
“The series called ‘Waiting’ is about how in Beirut you can see many chairs, wherever you go there is a plastic chair and they tell a story, waiting for someone to sit in them,” Fattal said. “‘Free Walls’ is about the graffiti in the area and it’s a way of expressing the beauty of art but also history, politics and identity, so I love photographing them.”
Beyt Mar Mikhael, a cultural space often hosting small exhibitions and events alongside their cafe and shop selling local artists’ work, chose to commemorate their survival of the blast with a new piece of wall art.
While the space looks mostly fixed up now, a large three-pronged crack in a wall, courtesy of the blast, has been left untouched, save for being painted along the fissures in gold.
The detail is reminiscent of the Japanese practice of kintsugi – the repairing of broken ceramics with gold lacquer – which embraces something broken and imperfect, to create a stronger and more beautiful piece of art.
“Ephemeres” is up at Beyt Mar Mikhael until Jan. 3, 2021.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
