Solidarity with Beirut

I’ve just returned from Beirut. I went to the 8^th edition of Home Works: A Forum on Cultural Practices, and landed in the middle of a revolution.  ثورة – “revolution” in Arabic – is one of the main slogans chanted incessantly, round the clock, in the whole of Lebanon for the last 4 days. All events of Home Works 8 have since been indefinitely postponed.

Experiencing the Lebanese revolution is truly moving. These are not protests against the taxation of WhatsApp calls, as has been reported by Poland’s daily Gazeta Wyborcza. They are targeted at the ties between power and business, corruption and the policy of draconian spending cuts (forced by the appropriation of public funds by politicians, their families and those to whom they are indebted). Ultimately – although this isn’t explicitly stated – this is a revolt against authoritarian, oligarchic capitalism. For the first time in Lebanon, protesters are united across sectarian divisions, and all of them – Christians, Druzes, Sunnis and Shias – are out in the streets to call for agency, dignity, a real influence on politics and, finally, toppling Sad al-Hariri’s government. This revolution is happy, energetic and uncompromising. People are dancing, singing, screaming, laughing. It’s clear that the momentum has given everyone hope and political empowerment. True, the barricades made of tyres and trash are on fire too, but revolutions have their own laws, and you cannot achieve change without generating pressure.

Many of the protesters’ demands, just like the very system of economic oppression, are universal in nature, despite being rooted in local contexts. This is why we decided to support the protesters, joining their demonstrations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Now, after our return from Beirut – as Biennale Warsaw – we would like to declare our full solidarity with those protesting in the streets of Lebanon, and reiterate their demands: “the people demand the fall of the regime”.

At the same time, we express our full solidarity with the Ashal Alwan team and everyone involved in the preparation of Home Works 8. We are perfectly aware of the amount of work invested in preparing the programme of this year’s edition. Ashkal Alwan has issued a powerful and moving statement explaining the reasons for its decision – without apologising for it. This statement is so close to our way of thinking about the political tasks and responsibilities of institutions that we would like to quote it in full:

„We do not regret to inform you that Ashkal Alwan is indefinitely postponing all programmes and events scheduled to take place from October 17-27, 2019 as part of the 8th edition of Home Works: A Forum on HW8 Cultural Practices. The launch of this edition of Home Works has once again been overwhelmed by the very forces that had initially led to its inception in 2001. Lebanon is witnessing spontaneous popular uprisings, bent on targeting our current regime and its security apparatuses, as well as toppling sectarian discourses and their hold on public life. Artistic and cultural institutions and initiatives are in no way isolated from broader civic, political, economic, and ideological contexts, but rather shaped as a result of and in response to historical events and their repercussions. This edition of Home Works initially called on participants to partake in acts of collective world-building, suggesting pathways to re-imagine social relations as they currently stand. Then, it seemed pertinent to echo the region’s manifold attempts at dismantling inherited structures of the past and designing alternative blueprints for the future, from Sudan to Syria, and from Algeria to Iraq. Today, it is our turn. In the past week, we have actively participated in mass protests and general strikes, closely monitored the situation as it was unfolding, and consulted with friends and colleagues from the legal, academic, journalistic, and artistic- cultural sectors to decide on the best way forward. Our conclusion: there shouldn’t be any reason to regret or apologize for the indefinite postponement of our programmes and events. Our artistic, intellectual, and organizational energy will be redirected towards the achievement of our hopes and aspirations, the possibility of which is being granted to us by a momentum that should be seized at any cost See you on the streets.”