Arab identity at heart of Beirut Art Fair
At the eighth annual Beirut Art Fair, contemporary artists were given free rein to create works that explore sensitive topics such as Arab identity, politics and conflict.
Lebanese author Khalil Gibran’s masterpiece “The Prophet” and Arabic protest art lie at the heart of the Beirut Art Fair (BAF), an international exhibition that was held for the eighth time Sept. 21-24. For the first time, there is also a parallel event, the Beirut Design Fair (BDF).
Beirut has always been seen as one of the capitals of art and design in the Middle East as well as the meeting place of curators, artists, culture operators and art fans from all over the world. One of the pillars of the art scene is BAF founder Laure d’Hauteville. The number of local, regional and international galleries and artists who join the fair increases every year; this year there were 51 galleries from 23 countries.
