Beirut Explosion

From the Sursock Palace to the J. Paul Getty Museum: The Resurrection of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lost Masterpiece

On August 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM, a devastating blast tore through the skies of Beirut. The shockwave obliterated the port, destroyed entire neighborhoods, claimed over 230 lives and left a haunting scene of ruin and disbelief. Among the many cultural treasures affected was Sursock Palace, a 19th-century Ottoman villa and historic family residence in ...

Rony Mecattaf: One Eye Lost, a Wider Vision Gained

In August 2020, Beirut was devastated by an apocalyptic explosion. Among the injured was psychotherapist Rony Mecattaf, who lost the use of his right eye. What could have remained a silent tragedy became the starting point for a powerful and unconventional narrative: La blessure qui guérit (“The Wound That Heals”), published in March 2025 by ...