Shuhud (Beyrouth) title of the work that gives the name to the exhibition by Cynthia Zahar, ( Shuhud is a witness in Arabic ).
Shuhud (Beyrouth) immerses us in questioning the territory, the history and the memories of testimonies erased by the demolition and reconstruction of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. A socio-cultural work that does not neglect all the graphic and artistic richness. We recognize the wild and spontaneous in the murals and the richness of the textures through the structures aged by time and war, when confronted with the photographs.
For 18 years, Cynthia has been living the streets, shops and most hidden blocks of Beirut with her camera, in a long-term job.
The history of a city inscribed in the textures of the walls in the form of tags.
«In my artistic work and as a cinema designer, it is to see how the conflict has left its patina on the old walls of this city. How beautiful is Arabic writing and popular expression». Over time, all this research became a single work of “memory” and reflection.
Of these old buildings that disappear, in the midst of the constant destruction and reconstruction of Beirut, which carry with them magnificent messages, of the things that move Cynthia in Beirut, marks that end up ending up in a layer of overlapping messages. Bringing these brands back to life preserves their essential function, saving and sharing memories.
