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Supported by the BERYT project and the Institut Français du Liban, Beirut Photo returns this year to Beirut from June 3 to 9, 2024, offering a dynamic and inclusive platform for both amateur and professional photographers.
Beirut Photo festival expands its activities thanks to the Beirut Center for Photography (BCP) and SOURA, two associations dedicated to promoting the diversity of photographic expressions in Lebanon. Workshops, roundtables, exhibitions, photo booths and fairs aim to provide educational tools, train participants and enrich the diversity of photographic perspectives.
Beirut Photo offers a range of engaging and diverse activities. The organizers affirm their commitment to supporting artists with a popular and high-quality platform. Patrick Baz, founder of BCP, states, “A festival like ours offers photographers a platform to showcase their talents and creativity. It helps promote photography as an art form and encourages emerging artists to exhibit their work alongside established professionals.”
The project offers an educational and inclusive vision. Marine Bougaran, co-founder of SOURA, emphasizes, “Our associations have come together around common values: educating, supporting, accompanying and disseminating. We live in societies constantly bombarded with images. It is essential to provide keys to encourage individual free will. Beirut Photo is an opportunity for both professionals and amateurs to develop skills in this field.”
The workshops will be held from June 3 to 9, with various sessions ranging from photography initiation, portraits, to commercial photography and artificial intelligence. The speakers include experts such as Aline Manoukian, Georges Azar, Patrick Baz, Elie Bekhazi, Frédéric Stucin, Thierry Van Biesen and Myriam Boulos.
The fair, full of encounters, will be held at Station on June 8 and 9 from 12 PM to 8 PM, where around thirty photographers will exhibit a selection of their works and books. Each photographer will have a space to present their work, sell prints and books, and meet the public. This is a unique opportunity to support artists and purchase unique shots, with a percentage of the sales being donated to BCP and SOURA to continue their support for Lebanese photography.
Among the main exhibitions and specific projects, Fragments highlights the works of three emerging photographers: Omar Gabriel, Elsie Haddad and Mayssa Khoury. The projects were developed in collaboration with photographers Patrick Baz, Gilbert Hage and Caroline Tabet. Omar Gabriel explores traumas through an introspective journey. Elsie Haddad invites us to discover the neighborhoods of Beirut and their heritage stories. Mayssa Khoury recreates scenes from her adolescence with elaborate setups and flash work. Marine Bougaran attests, “This exhibition corresponds to the DNA of Beirut Photo, allowing the highlighting of great talents and the discovery of quality projects that sometimes remain too confidential.”
On June 4, a discussion on the photography market will be moderated by Marine Bougaran with the participation of Frédéric Stucin and Vicky Mokbel. On June 5, a discussion in Arabic on images, information and fake news will be moderated by Christine Habib with contributions from Paul Zgheib and Patrick Baz. On June 6, Patrick Baz and Ronnie Chatah will host a talk/podcast in English on conflict photography. Finally, on June 7, Thierry Van Biesen will hold a conference in English on the new challenges of artificial intelligence.
Beirut Photo 2024 promises to be a significant event, celebrating photography in all its forms. It offers a space of expression and meeting for artists and the public, with a rich program of conferences and workshops.
