The Lebanon Pavilion celebrated the opening of “Dancing with Her Myth,” a captivating multimedia installation by artist Mounira Al Solh, under the curatorship and artistic direction of Nada Ghandour, commissioner and curator of the exhibition, at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The inauguration took place in the presence of prominent figures, including the Lebanese Ambassador to Italy, H.E. Ms. Mira Daher, and the Minister of Culture of the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
Organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and produced by the Lebanese Visual Art Association (LVAA), the Lebanon Pavilion invited Mounira Al Solh to create a passage between myth and reality within the Arsenale. Her large-scale installation, composed of 41 pieces, revisits the myth of the abduction of Europa to put into perspective the aspirations and challenges faced by women today.
Representing the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Judge Mohammad Wissam Al-Mortada, Nada Ghandour conveyed his message during the inauguration, emphasizing the importance of international cultural events in promoting mutual respect and understanding. In her speech, Nada Ghandour stated that the 2024 Lebanon Pavilion is a place that exalts emancipation, freedom, solidarity and gender equality, aiming to nourish collective social and political consciousness through the power of art.
Mounira Al Solh highlighted the intimate ties between her installation and the Mediterranean, integrating numerous elements from the Phoenician era. The installation revolves around a boat inviting a symbolic journey of emancipation and gender equality, structured by power relations between works advocating the questioning of gender norms and masks embodying the conservative forces of society.
The scenography, designed by architect Karim Bekdache, allows for total immersion. The progression towards an infinite horizon painted in blue-gray and the long, sinuous wooden pontoon crossing the pavilion connect land and sea.
The Lebanon Pavilion offers a powerful and engaged artistic experience, highlighting the talent of Mounira Al Solh and the vitality of the Lebanese art scene. “Dancing with Her Myth,” under the curatorship and artistic direction of Nada Ghandour, invites profound reflection on the feminine condition, emancipation and gender equality, while celebrating Lebanon’s cultural heritage and the power of art as a vector for dialogue and social change.
