Sursock Museum

Sursock Museum
قصر سرسق
The Sursock Museum in Beirut
Map
Established1961 (1961)
LocationBeirut, Lebanon
Coordinates33°53′34.59″N 35°30′58.42″E / 33.8929417°N 35.5162278°E / 33.8929417; 35.5162278
Typemodern art and contemporary art
Websitesursock.museum

The Sursock Museum (Arabic: قصر سرسق), officially known as the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum, is a modern and contemporary art museum in Beirut, Lebanon.

History

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In 1912, the Lebanese aristocrat Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock built the private villa that now houses the museum. He decreed in his will that the villa be transformed into a museum.[1] When he died in 1952, he bequeathed the villa to the city of Beirut.[2] The museum opened in 1961, directed by Amine Beyhum, with an exhibit of works of contemporary Lebanese artists, setting a precedent for cultural events in Beirut.[3]

The marble stairs of the museum

The Sursock Museum building exemplifies Lebanese architecture, with its Italianate (specifically Venetian) and Ottoman architectural influences.[2] It is one of the few remaining villas from its epoch in Beirut. It is located in the Rue Sursock in the Rmeil district of Beirut.

More than a hundred exhibitions have been held at the museum, including displays of works by Lebanese and international artists. The museum's permanent collection includes modern art, Japanese engravings and Islamic art.[4] The museum collection consists of over 800 artworks, including paintings, sculptures and graphic arts from the 19th and 20th centuries.[5]

On 4 August 2020, the museum sustained significant damage and some of its artworks were destroyed as a result of a catastrophic ammonium nitrate explosion.[6]

The museum was restored thanks to various donors among them the Italian government with a donation of one million euro in May 2021.[7] It finally reopened on 26 May 2023.[8]

Expansion

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The museum was expanded with four new underground floors beneath the current garden, at a cost of US$12 million.[5] French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Lebanese architect Jacques Abou Khaled designed the expansion project.[9]

The project increased the museum's area from 1,500 square meters to 8,500 square meters and opened additional exhibition spaces, a research library, an auditorium, a restoration workshop, new storage spaces for the collection, as well as a store and restaurant.[10] The museum reopened on 8 October 2015.

Collection

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The following is a list of Lebanese and international artists whose works are in the museum's permanent collection:

Exhibition history

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  • Hommage à Jean Khalife, 1993[11]
  • Omar Onsi Rétrospective, 1997 [12]
  • Georges Schehadé : poète des deux rives, 1905-1989, 1999[13]
  • Max Ernst, 2000[14]
  • Sergei Parajanov, collages and drawings, 2000[15]
  • Moustafa Farroukh Rétrospective, 2003 [16]
  • Regards sur Beyrouth, 160 ans d'images, 2015 [17]
  • Danielle Genadry, The Fall, 2016 [18]
  • Assadour, landscape in Motion, 2016 [19]
  • Ali Cherri. A Taxonomy of Fallacies: The Life of Dead Objects, 2016 [20]
  • Let's Talk About the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis, 2016 [21]
  • Susan Hiller Magic Lantern, 2016[22]
  • Adelita Husni-Bey: A Wave in the Well, 2016[23]
  • Fabrik, 2017[24]
  • Les mondes de Willy Aractingy, 2017[25]
  • Hrair Sarkissian Homesick, 2017[26]
  • Partitions et Couleurs : Hommage à Amine El Bacha, 2017[27]
  • Fruit of Sleep. Curated by Reem Fadda – Part of Act II program of Tamawuj, Sharjah Biennial 13, 2017[28]
  • Monira Al Qadiri: The Craft, 2017[29]
  • Abed Al Kadiri, The Story of the Rubber Tree, 2018[30]
  • Cy Twombly Photographs, 2018[31]
  • Zad Moultaka: ŠamaŠ[32]
  • Fleeting Exits, Curated by Marwan T. Assaf, 2018[33]
  • Past Disquiet, Curated by Kristine Khouri and Rasha Salti, 2018[34]
  • Gregory Buchakjian Abandoned Dwellings, Display of Systems, Curated by Karina El Helou, 2018[35]
  • Laure et Mazen : Correspondance(s), 2019[36]
  • La Fabrique des illusions: Collection Fouad Debbas et commentaires contemporains, 2019[37]
  • Baalbek, Archives of an Eternity, curated by Vali Mahlouji, 2019[38]
  • Picasso et la famille, 2019[39]
  • At the still point of the turning world, there is the dance. Curated by Carla Chammas and Rachel Dedman, 2019[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Guides.hotelbook.com, Events Guide: Sursock Museum (Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon)
  2. ^ a b Daratalfunun.org Archived 2007-04-23 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Galleries Beirut, Sursock museum, Georges Guv Aref Rayess, John Haddian, Levon Moumjian. Madi Hussein
  4. ^ "Lebanon-tourism.gov.lb". Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  5. ^ a b Annahar.com Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Bishara, Hakim (5 August 2020). "Deadly Explosion in Beirut Decimates Thousands of Buildings, Including Galleries and Museums". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Libano: restauri a tempo di record per il museo Sursock - Cultura" (in Italian). 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  8. ^ Helene Sallon:Beirut's Sursock Museum, a showcase for Lebanese art, reopens. Le Monde, 31 May 2023
  9. ^ "Jadesigns-architects.com". Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  10. ^ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/Jul/14/Mitri-presents-project-to-expand-Sursock- [dead link]
  11. ^ Sursock, Musée (1998). "Hommage à Jean Khalife". Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Retrospective Omar Onsi au musée Sursock". L'Orient-Le Jour. 8 February 1997. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  13. ^ Georges Schehadé : poète des deux rives, 1905-1989. WorldCat. OCLC 407050949.
  14. ^ Laure d'Hauteville (1 April 2000). "Max Ernst Le magicien des palpitations subtiles". Le Commerce du Levant. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. ^ Sonia Nigolian (2000). "Serguei Paradjanov. Ce magicien a ensorcelé la banalité". La revue du Liban. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. ^ "CULTURE Rétrospective Moustafa Farroukh au musée Sursock (photo)". L'Orient-Le Jour. 8 February 1997. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. ^ Marie Josée Rizkallah (12 October 2015). "" Regards sur Beyrouth " une odyssée en image dans le Beyrouth d'antan". Libananews. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ^ ""The Fall", Danielle Genadry". L'Agenda Culturel. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  19. ^ Olga Habre (18 March 2016). "Assadour: an artist in motion Sursock Museum launches new art exhibition". Executive Life. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. ^ Kevin Jones (September 2016). "A Taxonomy of Fallacies: The Life of Dead Objects Ali Cherri". ArtAsiaPacific. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. ^ Kaelen Wilson-Goldie (2016). "Let's Talk About the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis". Artforum. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Susan Hiller". The Hyman Collection. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  23. ^ "Exhibition: Adelita Husni-Bey: A Wave in the Well". Lebtivity. 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  24. ^ "FABRIK at the Sursock Museum". Lebanon Traveller. 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Les mondes de Willy Aractingi". L'Agenda Culturel. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  26. ^ Murtaza Vali (January 2015). "Beyond Exile: Hrair Sarkissian's Homesick". Nafas Art Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Partitions et Couleurs : Hommage à Amine El Bacha". Artforum. 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Fruit of Sleep". Nafas Art Magazine. November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  29. ^ Michaela Bear (30 August 2017). "Monira Al Qadiri's immersive exhibition at Gasworks transports viewers into an eerie world of American popular culture and extra-terrestrial visitations". Trebuchet Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  30. ^ "Abed Al Kadiri, The Story of the Rubber Tree". MutualArt. 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  31. ^ "Cy Twombly" (PDF). Gagosian. 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.[permanent dead link]
  32. ^ "ŠamaŠ pour la première fois au Liban". Le Petit Journal. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  33. ^ "Fleeting Exits, s'echapper de soir pour se retrouver". Femme Magazine. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  34. ^ Mathilde Rouxel (3 October 2018). "Past Disquiet : Exposer l'art en exil". OnOrient. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  35. ^ Kirsten O'Regan (6 December 2018). "Photographs of Beirut's Abandoned Houses, Decades After the Civil War". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  36. ^ "Laure et Mazen : Correspondance(s)". L'Agenda Culturel. 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  37. ^ "Exposition photo: La Fabrique des illusions : Collection Fouad Debbas et commentaires contemporains". L'Œil de la Photographie. 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  38. ^ "The Baalbeck Exhibit is a Cultural Panorama of Lebanon". Al Bawaba. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  39. ^ "Picasso et la famille". Executive Bulletin. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  40. ^ "At the Still Point of the Turning World, There is the Dance". Aramco World. 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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