This September, Beirut’s art scene is presenting two powerful exhibitions that reflect on survival, resilience, and the uncertain future of our world. Project Atrahsis by Moussa Shabandar and GRWM (Get Ready With Me) by Abir Kobeissi invite audiences to step into immersive worlds that confront ecological collapse, political instability, and the personal rituals of preparation.
Project Atrahsis by Moussa Shabandar
On view until September 15, Project Atrahsis envisions a dystopian future where Earth has been pushed beyond repair. Polluted, over-mined, and stripped of its resources, the planet is no longer habitable. Instead of protecting what remains, governments and corporations build an ark, the IUH Atrahsis, designed to carry a chosen few toward a new planet.
The exhibition includes models of the ark, propaganda promising life beyond Earth, and public service announcements that create the sense of a world in collapse. Shabandar’s work warns of a familiar danger: a future shaped by corporate greed and political apathy, where survival is reserved for the privileged.
Shabandar, a Beirut-based filmmaker, has spent years exploring environmental issues in his films, from overfishing to bird hunting. With this project, he returns to sculpture and woodwork, merging his cinematic storytelling with physical craft.
GRWM by Abir Kobeissi
Opening on Friday, September 19, GRWM (Get Ready With Me) reimagines the online ritual of “getting ready” as an act of survival. Instead of makeup tutorials or lifestyle videos, Kobeissi transforms the idea into an immersive installation where readiness becomes a collective and physical practice.
Visitors step into a space resembling a warrior’s wardrobe, filled with symbolic weapons, fragile materials, and carefully staged environments. The exhibition explores the balance between vulnerability and strength, showing how preparation in uncertain times is not just personal but deeply communal.
Kobeissi, a Lebanese artist based in Munich, works across sculpture, ceramics, glass, and textiles. Her art is known for combining material precision with conceptual depth, often addressing political, economic, and social themes. Alongside her independent practice, she is also developing Ferdaus, an art residency in Beirut for artists, writers, and creatives.
Exhibition Hours
- Friday, September 19 | 18:00 – 21:00
- Saturday, September 20 | 16:00 – 19:00
- Thursday, September 28 | 17:00 – 21:00
- Friday, September 29 | 17:00 – 21:00
- Saturday, September 30 | 11:00 – 14:00
- Thursday, October 4 | 17:00 – 21:00
- Friday, October 5 | 17:00 – 21:00
- Saturday, October 6 | 11:00 – 14:00
Or by appointment: [email protected] | +961 70 551563
As part of the program, Takeover Open Studio #005 will open Kobeissi’s studio in Fassouh on Saturday, September 13. Interested visitors can RSVP via email to receive the full address.
Beirut as a Stage for Urgency
The two exhibitions echo the uncertainty of our times: environmental collapse, political fragility, and the instinct to prepare for what comes next. Shabandar’s imagined ark and Kobeissi’s sculptural rituals may seem worlds apart, yet both ask the same question — how do we survive together in the face of crisis?
Beirut, as always, proves to be a city where art does not shy away from global anxieties but turns them into urgent, local conversations.
