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The exceptional installation ŠamaŠ, blending visual art and musical composition, created by Zad Moultaka, is on display for the first time in France at the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris. This work is a powerful outcry against the barbarity of war, shedding light on the destructive tendencies of civilizations while delivering a fervent call for peace.
Originally unveiled in 2017 at the Lebanese Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, ŠamaŠ (pronounced Shamash) seamlessly combines visual art and music. For the first time in France, visitors can experience this extraordinary piece at the IMA in Paris until April 6. Deeply symbolic, the project stems from Zad Moultaka’s profound reflection on civilizations and their self-destructive cycles. "Every civilization carries within it the seed of its own destruction," Moultaka remarked during a press presentation at the IMA’s grand headquarters on December 9. This striking statement, which inspired the artist, underscores the inevitable, cyclical nature of human violence.
Moultaka draws inspiration for this work from the renowned Code of Hammurabi, the ancient Babylonian legal text widely regarded as the first written code of laws. Dating back nearly 4,000 years, it was carved into a black basalt stele now displayed at the Louvre. The artist’s reflection began when the shape of this stele oddly reminded him of a bomber engine, a war artifact from the 1950s. This realization led him to juxtapose the two images, uncovering a profound thematic connection. Upon further exploration, he discovered the sun god ŠamaŠ — depicted at the top of the Hammurabi stele — who is associated with justice, life and destruction.
ŠamaŠ’s symbol, a sun-like star with four rays radiating in wave-like patterns, inspired the artist to draw a parallel with the propeller of a bomber engine. This connection became the foundation for placing the engine at the heart of the installation exhibited at the IMA. The engine serves as a symbolic representation of the god of chaos and destruction, blending ŠamaŠ’s destructive energy with the memory of the dead and the suffering inflicted by war.
An Immersive Visual and Auditory Experience
ŠamaŠ offers a fully immersive experience that fuses visual and auditory elements to create a profound sense of engagement. At its center, a towering six-meter-high Rolls Royce Avon Mk209 bomber engine faces a wall built from approximately 150,000 Lebanese coins. This wall symbolizes a destroyed city — a landscape of ruins viewed from above — and acts as a metaphor for the Golden Calf, representing the link between war, money and power.
Sound plays a pivotal role in the installation, emanating from 32 speakers strategically placed around the space. The audio is a loop lasting 11 minutes and 54 seconds, derived from the sound of a bomber engine stretched from its original 10-second duration. Through intricate filtering, this sound transforms into a heartbeat, evoking the cries of bombing victims and the frozen wails amid chaos. This cyclical palindrome reflects the endless cycles of violence and justice, war and peace. “It’s as if the engine’s violent roar carries, within its core, the traces of those who suffered. As if we can hear their cries within the belly of this monstrous machine,” Moultaka explains.
The accompanying musical composition, an original piece by Moultaka, is performed by the choir of Antonine University under the direction of Toufic Maatouk. Drawing inspiration from Sumerian lamentations — particularly chants mourning the destruction of the city of Ur — Moultaka crafts a fragmented soundscape using mutilated Akkadian words. The resulting score features male and female voices that seem to dissolve within a shattered auditory universe, as though the language itself had been obliterated by the force of a bombing.
A Celestial and Spiritual Atmosphere
The installation concludes with a poem of peace, recited in a child’s voice that emanates from the bomber engine — the heart of the piece. This profoundly moving text calls for reconciliation and an end to cycles of violence. It draws upon an ancient prayer, closing with the words: "The gate of night closes on this violence," as a hopeful wish for the extinction of evil and the return of peace.
A haunting melody and melancholic atmosphere envelop the space, leading visitors on a journey illuminated by progressive and regressive lighting. This symbolic cycle, much like the installation itself, creates a celestial, almost temple-like ambiance. Visitors are invited to step into this metaphorical temple, first experiencing it frontally and then immersively, moving through the space while reflecting on the installation’s profound themes.
“The installation creates a space that is both intimate and collective,” explains Élodie Bouffard, the IMA’s exhibition curator. “Each visitor is encouraged to contemplate their own position in relation to violence, history and the consequences of war,” she adds.
A Universal Message Beyond Lebanon
ŠamaŠ transcends the geographical and temporal boundaries of the Middle East. It is not merely a commentary on Lebanon or the region but on violence in all its forms and origins. "Yesterday’s oppressors are today’s victims, and today’s victims will become tomorrow’s oppressors," Moultaka notes, emphasizing the urgent need to break this relentless cycle.
In an era marked by global rearmament and escalating violence, ŠamaŠ delivers a tragically relevant message, observes Nathalie Bondil, director of the museum and exhibitions division at the IMA. This cathartic installation invites universal reflection on the themes of war, justice and humanity. Through powerful symbols, ancient music, and historical references, it immerses audiences in a disorienting space where past and present blur, and hope coexists with destruction.
The exhibition at the IMA offers a rare opportunity to experience a monumental and deeply human work that resonates profoundly with today’s realities. ŠamaŠ is a cry of hope — a call to rebuild a common language, foster peace and elevate humanity beyond conflict.
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