Subconscious Beirut

Living for what is left out, and not what is missing, is the essential occupation of Beiruties. An absence of what is referred to as basic needs for citizens, has been marginalized over time to normality. Yet emptiness gives space for unconventional behaviors and ways of fulfillment. This non-functional city, or functional in its very chaotic way, has led to a paralyzed perspective that manifests on many levels, be it social, political or psychological. The photographic series delves into the normalized picture of Beirut in the subconscious of a typical frustrated citizen. An emptiness automatically filled for it to exist in a mind’s space, offering an inhabitable gravity to the city’s core and functionality. ------- Eye contact. I look the city in the eye as I stand high and look down on it. It is aware of my cognizance. A reptile unfolding its eye, paralyzing my consciousness, hypnotizing me as I look down into it. I enter the void in its eye. As I plunge into a timeless state, an overwhelming essence flows in front of me. What I see, what I smell, what I touch, what I hear, what I taste, is what I see. A symphony of Beirut’s sensory essence. It goes on endlessly, towards a chaotic core. ------- NB: All of the above photographs are taken with an analogue camera (Nikon F2) using a Fujicolor C200 negative film. No Digital manipulation has been used to create these effects, other than minor color correction and contrast calibration. Each photograph is a multiple exposures of the same scenery.