Grapevine // August 2024
Raed Yassin's taxidermy musical, characterization through conversation and loukoum from Douma, Walid Raad's imaginary collaborators, Seta Manoukian at the port, and more
Grapevine is a monthly list of recommended things to read (books not links), think about, experience, or see (mostly in Lebanon) including art exhibits, films, performances, or anything that I found inspiring with a focus on the physical over the digital.
The Sea Between My Soul at Beirut Art Center.
Until Sept 7, 2024 but BAC is now on break until Sept 2
I stopped by BAC earlier this month when they were having a big summer sale on their books. I popped into their current exhibit, Hell Between My Teeth, Phantom in My Heart, and Never-Ending Hum by Raed Yassin. Not everything pulled me in as a viewer but one work I did like was just wacky enough to lift my mood: The Sea Between My Soul. It’s a video produced in 2020 with Onassis Stagi about the Mediterranean Sea as “a stage for death and darkness from the beginning of human history until contemporary era.” However, Yassin takes this heavy subject and presents it as a rock musical with singing taxidermy animals narrating their ominous stories. I sent clips to my friend while sitting in the theater. I told her, “it’s Quiznos goes to Broadway.” It’s so strange, I love it.
Raed Yassin was interviewed on the afikra podcast this month if you want to learn more about him and here’s another overview on his work.
Outline by Rachel Cusk.
I was starting and dropping book after book, not being able to find the right read after the last two. Finally, I landed on something that held my fractured attention (undoubtedly thanks to my insane screen time), Outline by Rachel Cusk.