Allegorical Ruins is a solo show by Lebanese artist and musician Raed Yassin. An exploration of time and memory, this show displays The Company of Silver Spectres (2021-ongoing), Yassin’s series of artworks where he transforms discarded B&W photos into vibrant canvases blurring the boundaries between past and present. Taking place at Gallery Isabelle, the exhibition will end on 27 June 2024.
Allegorical Ruins is inspired by Camera Lucida (1980) by French theorist Roland Barthes, who suggests that in every photo, there is “the return of the dead”, and photography, by freezing moments from the past, resurrects those captured instances in the present. Yassin explores this concept in his exhibited series, delving into the complexities of memory, time, and loss.
The old photographs Yassin uses, most of which focus on individuals and their lives, are intimate relics of family narratives and belonging. He spray-paints them in monochromatic colours, obscuring their specificity and summoning ghosts from the past. Although this process seems to be an act of erasure, it serves as a means of preservation. The resulting art pieces present bright colours that contrast with the inherent sense of loss while offering spectators to confront the absence and presence.
Yassin’s personal history shaped by the Civil War in Lebanon and the loss of his family photos imbues his work with longing and remembrance. His installations, such as City Mirage (2024) comprising vintage letters from Beirut’s shop signs, encapsulate the city’s changing landscape and the merciless march of time. This artwork emphasises the continuous destruction of urban spaces and preserves fragments of memory amidst the chaos.
Despite the themes of loss and ruination, Yassin’s work also offers glimpses of hope and resilience. His Mirage (2024), a neon sign bearing the titular word, symbolises Beirut’s struggles yet hints at the possibility of positive change.
About the artist
Raed Yassin (b. 1979, Beirut), whose art practice encompasses video, sound, photography, text, sculpture, and performance, lives between Berlin (Germany) and Beirut. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Beirut in 2003, where he studied in the Theatre Department.
Yassin’s practice is often based on an examination of his personal narratives and their position within a collective history through the lens of consumer culture and mass production. His work delves into various themes, among which are contemporary communications media, news content, popular culture, urban existence, art history, Arabic cinema, and archives.
Yassin has headed many solo exhibitions which include Ghost Karaoke (Foto/Industria Biennial, Bologna, Italy, 2023); Phantom Orchestra (CTM festival, Berlin, Germany, 2022); The Sea Between My Soul (Onassis Stegi, Athens, Greece, 2021); and others. The artist has also participated in multiple group shows, such as Taipei Biennial (Taiwan, 2023); Lyon Biennial (France, 2022); Contemporary Ceramic Art from the Middle East (Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK, 2021); But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise (Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York, USA, 2016); Sharjah Biennial 9 and 10 (2009 & 2011); and others.
Yassin has undertaken numerous residencies: at Akademie der Künste der Welt (Cologne, Germany, 2015), the Delfina Foundation (London, 2014 and 2010), and De Ateliers (Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2008-2010), to mention a few. The artist has received several grants and prizes: the AFAC grant for production (2019 and 2010), the Sharjah Art Foundation Project Fund (2014), the Abraaj Group Art Prize (2012), and the Fidus Prize (2009), among others.
As a musician, Yassin is one of the organisers of the Irtijal Festival for Experimental Music (Beirut); he is also part of groups such as “A” Trio and PRAED. Yassin has released a number of solo music albums and established his independent music label Annihaya in 2009.
To learn more about Allegorical Ruins, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
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