The Diary of a Sky
Throughout the summer of 2024 the airspace over Lebanon—and its capital Beirut in particular—echoed with thunderous sonic booms caused by Israeli military jets. While one might suspect such illegal incursions to be novel, and related to current regional tensions THE DIARY OF A SKY, the latest, typically erudite work from acclaimed contemporary artist and “private ear” Lawrence Abu Hamdan proves they are anything but. Created from sonic data collected by the UN that traces Israel’s violations of Lebanon’s airspace since 2006, Hamdan’s essay film marries text, narration and a refined soundscape to an assembly of smartphone footage of jets, drones, helicopters and other invasive objects. Often pixelated and raw, these clips shot by the artist’s broader local network double as a gesture in community, reinforcing the shared situation of the country’s residents. Minimal in construction but broad in scope, THE DIARY OF A SKY also folds in the history of post-war Germany and Israel’s 2021 assault on Gaza, as well the August 2020 Beirut port explosion—notably refusing to absolve the Lebanese leaders for their role and the ongoing lack of accountability. (Jesse Cumming)
With SLOW SHIFT and UNDR
Lawrence Abu Hamdan: RUBBER COATED STEEL (2016, K), WALLED UNWALLED (2018, K), ONCE REMOVED (2019, K), 45TH PARALLEL (2022, K)
- Lawrence Abu Hamdan
- Amir Afshar
- Ghalya Albani
- Larissa Aoun
- Jad Atoui
- Zeinab Awada
- Ahmad Beydoun
- Myriam Boulous
- Hussein Borji
- Jamal Chaiito
- Zakia Drano
- Nader Elatrache
- Samer el Khoury
- Sahar Ghaddar
- Ahmad Ghossei
- Nabil Hamdan
- Ali Hmeidan
- Maha Hoteit
- Issa Hojeij
- Mohamad Jawad
- Nesrine Khodr
- Adel Kudsi
- Dj Madam
- Huda Mirza
- Ali Nahhas
- Mahdi Najem
- Kamal Nehme
- Samer Noun
- Tariq Qiblawi
- Hiba Salman
- Ali Shaib
- Jube Siba
- Hussein Srour
- Zahra Wehbe
- Aya Yaman
- Jaber Yemen
- Mahdi Zeinaldin
- Elie Zehlewe
- Moe Choucair
- Mohamad A. Gawad
Square Eyes
