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With Whispers of Nature, the Tanit Gallery offers an unparalleled immersive experience by showcasing the works of artist Ghassan Zard until April 3, 2024.
Ghassan Zard, a painter and sculptor with a history of group and solo exhibitions in Beirut, Munich, London, and Paris, welcomes us into the gallery as though it were a sanctuary. He envelops us in a realm of silence and contemplation, encouraging us to listen intently to better grasp the subtle whispers of nature. Nature claims the space, approaches us, enters our hearts, and guides us back to the source for genuine rejuvenation. The artist retrieves precious elements to sharpen our gaze, awaken our senses, and assist us in rediscovering the essence of things. We are invited to appreciate the elegance of trunks and the delicate balance of strength and fragility in branches that stretch towards the sky in a form of prayer. Zard transforms pieces of bark, mushrooms, or clumps of earth into sculptures of iron or aluminum. These gathered plant elements, polished, colored, or reimagined, are elevated to works of art, reclaiming their noble status.
Zard encourages us to explore the infinite richness and subtlety of tones and hues in a delicate spectrum of burnt earth colors, pearly beige, golden, and shades of brown from dark to light. Aluminum mushrooms, resembling sound amplifiers, cling to tree trunks, call us to stay connected, engage in dialogue and find in this listening a deep resonance within ourselves. An enchanted forest emerges as a fairy-tale spectacle, invoking a nostalgic return to childhood.
Mirror paintings, inlaid with elements borrowed from nature, mirror the world of reflection, fantasy and dreams. A playful universe, filled with magic, opens up endless possibilities conducive to transformation. Navigating the fine line between illusion and reality, the artist prompts us to introspection, to recognize the detrimental effects of narcissism and vanity. He leads us beyond our limiting individuality, challenging the boundaries of our perception to marvel at the universe’s boundless richness.
Zard introduces the paradox of reinventing and revisiting nature to turn its elements into sculptures and artworks, contributing to the creative process. On the other hand, he critiques the enslavement of the planet, exemplified by mushrooms transformed into cups or tables, to fulfill the egocentric desires of a consumerist society. This persistent ambiguity prompts us to question the meaning of creation, aiming to restore its rightful spiritual, artistic, and not solely utilitarian value.
The suspended canvases resonate with this understated dialogue. Through their abstraction, they create a suspended silence, allowing us to perceive the pulse of life, the whisper of leaves, the wind’s caress creating ripples on the water, and the air’s murmur through branches. Paintings with mauve or bluish backgrounds unfold like musical scores, endlessly imprinting their vibrations. This delicate orchestration of notes, both vibrant and muted, immerses the spectator in a contemplative journey filled with poetry and helps them reconnect with their fundamental nature, the missing part of themselves.
At the Tanit Gallery, an intense experience awaits discovery until April 3, 2024.