Beirut, The Eras of Design - a pioneering exhibition on design in Lebanon at MUDAC

23 Nov

Richard Yasmine’s AFTER AGO collection of tables and vessels

When curator Marc Costanini stumbled upon the works of designers Karen Chekerjian in Paris and Marc Dibeh during a group exhibition in 2016 - his curiosity was sparked. The need to put together an exhibition centred on design in the Middle East and specifically in Lebanon - a pioneer of its kind, became apparent. Before it, no study had been conducted on the history of design from the country’s independence to the present day.

**MUDAC** - Lausanne’s **Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts** - is the only institution in Western Switzerland entirely dedicated to design.

Seven years later, the exhibition came to life, Beirut. The eras of Design opened its doors to the public from April 7th to August 6th 2023 at the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland - with the aim to fill the gap on design in Lebanon; its origins and situation today - a subject left unexplored before then.

The exhibition follows a chronological time frame and is divided into three periods. The starting point being Lebanon’s independence in 1943, followed by the civil war period and the year 2000 when designers began moving back to Lebanon.

Above, a copy of the screen reproduced by maison Tarazi and originally designed by Serge Sassouni in 1959 for Alcazar Hotel in Beirut.

15 contemporary studios were also invited to take part in the exhibition project and showcase their iconic pieces, telling the story and diversity of design in Lebanon with designers such as Carlo Massoud, Carla Baz and Marc Baroud.

The exhibition designers - Jad Melki and Ghait Abi Ghana from Ghaith & Jad architecture studio were chosen as the exhibition’s set designers. Their fragmented and adaptable installation based on three headed void pedestals convey the idea of fragility at a deeper level mirroring the city of Beirut - its archeological heritage and ever-changing nature.

Mary-lynn & Carlo Massoud’s BALOO buffet.

These wooden stools are the fruit of a collaboration between Minjara and Maison Tarazi.

The last component of the exhibition is the Minjara projet in Tripoli , installed since 2018 in the spacious building designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Its aim - preserve Lebanon’s woodwork heritage and to foster dialogue between traditional craftspeople and contemporary designers in a spirit of innovation.

Alongside the exhibition, a book “Beirut, the eras of design” was published. It was co-edited by Kath Books x Music Lausanne and is the first of its kind on design in Lebanon. It tells the story of the history of design in Beirut, the emergence of contemporary design and the Minjara solidarity and creative initiative.

Discover Penone’s breathtaking piece Luce e ombra, 2011 at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux Arts, opposite the MUDAC during your visit in Lausanne.