When wounds are still open - is there room for art?

Like another crane in the sky, a giant steel sculpture could be observed on Beirut’s Port a year after the devastating Aug 4th explosion. Conceived by Lebanese architect-artist Nadim Karam and entitled “The Gesture”, the temporary structure - composed of steel remains from the destroyed Port’s hangars, was revealed a few days before the commemoration. In the form of a human figure holding a bird - the impressive structure made from 25 tons of the city’s “scarrs” (like many land art pieces) - created a public uproar on social media.

Crowds gather on the Autostrade on August 4th 2021 for the commemoration

While some praised the artist’s gesture and boldness others deemed it too soon for of any kind of memorial to be erected when Lebanese authorities have taken no thorough steps since the explosion to investigate on its cause.

The financing and permissions behind the “Giant From the Ashes” were also put under the spotlight. Karam denied any government affiliation and declared “The Gesture” was funded solely by private companies and developed by his studio along with other professionals who worked on the project pro-bono.

The sculpture raises the issue of art in a context of trauma and political injustice - a question that pervades Nadim Karam’s work on the power of creativity over violence in a post-disaster environment.