The Dalloul Artist Collective (DAC) has been launched in Beirut this month, with a solo exhibition by Lebanese artist Fawzi Baalbaki.
Founded by Dr Basel Dalloul, the Dalloul Artist Collective is an independent initiative designed specifically to be artist-focused and to provide support for those practicing across the MENA region, as well as in the diaspora.
Independent from the Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF), which will continue its mission to preserve and research Arab art through its collection, the focus of the Dalloul Artist Collective will be on participating directly in the evolution of the region’s dynamic art scene through its artists. By amplifying their practices and voices at every stage, the Dalloul Artist Collective will help cement the two organisations as key players in the region’s art ecosystem.
Fawzi Baalbaki’s solo exhibition, The Escape to Joy, opened in the Stone Garden building, which will serve as the headquarters of the Dalloul Artist Collective. Designed by renowned architect Lina Ghotmeh, the building’s façade, made from hand-combed concrete, physically embodies Beirut’s complex history, while cementing the Dalloul Artist Collective’s roots in the city.
The Escape to Joy presents more than 50 of Baalbaki’s recent works, which see the artist explore his personal history, particularly the time he spent in Paris during the 1980s, which marked the beginning of his exploration of more linear, abstracted figural compositions in a departure from realism.
Curated by Baalbaki’s two sons, Ayman and Said, who worked with their father on many of his most recent works on display, the exhibition also features a short film by Baalbaki’s grandson Ali Baalbaki, as well as an interview with the artist filmed by Serwan Baran. In this, Baalbaki recounts memories from his youth and reflects on his artistic evolution and those who have influenced his practice. The Escape to Joy embodies and celebrates the intergenerational approach to art taken by the Dalloul Art Foundation and Dalloul Artist Collective.
