Illustrations by Jaimee Lee Haddad.
For the first time in a while, I have a pretty free weekend, and I am looking forward to finally getting to all the quirkier articles I've been saving, rediscovering the book I abandoned at least a month and catching up on my favourite podcasts as I spring clean my bedroom.
From all this, I’m hoping to dedicate time to learning about things totally unrelated, and not even necessarily useful to life, finding interest in them simply for interest's sake. In the following articles, you might find the same — a story on a totally niche subject that may send you down an idiosyncratic rabbit hole, learning about Mamluk-era paintings, the technical brilliance behind Alaia’s leopard print or Bizet’s unique Opera style.
Enjoy!
Jim Quilty gives us a careful study of famous Lebanese-Lithuanian photographer Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi’s debut solo show at No/Mad Utopia, elucidating the meaning behind her striking images and introducing me to one of my new favorite pictures — one of two trees hugging amid Beirut’s urban sprawl.
This summer Stéphanie Nasr is diving deep into the designers behind some of the biggest fashion houses. So far, I have revelled in channeling my inner Andrea Sachs to learn about how Alaia revolutionized leopard print and to discover the choreographic precision of Mugler’s legendary “Naked Dress.”
I also enjoyed unearthing fragments of Islamic history that were buried deep in the recesses of my memory with Josephine Hobeika’s review of the Mamluk exhibition at the Louvre. Her visit tells the story of the rich and multicultural civilization through key paintings, artefacts and writings.
In eager anticipation of Jorge Takla’s production of Bizet’s Carmen at the momentous Baalbeck Festival, L’Orient-Le Jour sat down with the acclaimed Brazilian-Lebanese director, offering us a sneak preview of this particularly Lebanese production of the iconic opera.
Director Lynn Tawile, who made her debut with an award-winning university film about organ trafficking, has just released an already viral music video for her lifelong friend and professional counterpart Maryline Naaman’s new song “Mesh Nafs al-Shi.” Carla Henoud tells us the touching story of their friendship and artistic collaboration.
Finally, have you ever felt that particular pang of FOMO when you see a post or hear talk about a cool event you didn’t even know was taking place? Whether you’re in Riyadh, Tunis, Cairo or Dubai, we have an answer to make sure you always have your finger on the pulse. From now on, our culture guru Marguerita Sejaan will be selecting the hottest events every week across the entire region, from the MYM Agenda calendar. You can also sign up here to get the guide sent straight to your inbox.
