Earlier this year, twenty proposals were selected from an open call launched by Beirut Art Center, inviting emerging artists from Lebanon and the wider region to explore the many potential manifestations of fire. Countless conversations ensued and one thing became clear: most of the works being shared were intimate and context-responsive, and in the absence of stability amid ongoing crises, it would prove difficult for them to remain defined and unchanged in the time leading up to the exhibition.
The focus therefore shifted to process rather than finished work. Artists based in Lebanon were invited to relocate their studios to Beirut Art Center, offering literal room to explore, investigate, adapt and collaborate site-specifically, without the expectation of a pre-defined outcome. Nine artists physically occupied the space, while the others worked remotely with open lines of communication. The slow burn encounters were conceived to render this energy public by opening the doors of BAC daily for guests to witness, engage with and impact the process weeks before the opening.
And so, while the elemental and paradoxical forces of fire fuel the origins of the works in this exhibition, it is ultimately not about fire. These emerging voices take visitors on a slow burn through the interstitial moments of fire – the spaces where energy, heat and light exist without being a full-blown blaze, where slow, profound pressure simmers over time, turning resistance and anticipation into form. On the ground floor, the relationship between violence and its representation is anchored by the latent power of matter and darkness, whereas the mezzanine above makes space for intimate, material practices of mourning.
A slow burn is not the opposite of a blazing fire. It is latent power; quiet yet just as fiercely hot, possessing the potential of fire but choosing control. And while quiet, a slow burn is not idle. The works are unsettled and in constant flux. A slow burn continues because its core temperature never drops, ensuring that it is always on the verge of transformation. Conceived as a catalyst rather than a conclusion, this exhibition invites viewers into this charged space, to simultaneously impact and bear witness to the subtle forging of a new collective temperature.
Curated by Danielle Makhoul.
Press release from Beirut Art Center
Image: Elie Mouhanna. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴. 2025. Aluminum foil (14 μ), recycled cardboard and light. Dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist
