The Revenge of Geography
Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989
A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress)
Vartan Avakian
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The Revenge of Geography: Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989, A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress), 2011, 6 printed maps, 100x70cm each, topographic model, wood, cork, 100x140cm, in collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh, Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, Installation view, photo by Maryam Al Qassimi
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The Revenge of Geography: Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989, A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress), 2011, 6 printed maps, 100x70cm each, topographic model, wood, cork, 100x140cm, in collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh, Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, Installation view, photo by Amina Khansaheb
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The Revenge of Geography: Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989, A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress), 2011, 6 printed maps, 100x70cm each, topographic model, wood, cork, 100x140cm, in collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh, Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, Installation view, photo by Amina Khansaheb
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The Revenge of Geography: Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989, A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress), 2011, 6 printed maps, 100x70cm each, topographic model, wood, cork, 100x140cm, in collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh, Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, Installation view, photo by Alfredo Rubio
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photo by Alfredo Rubio
The Revenge of Geography: Heroes, Beauty Queens and Lebanese Action Cinema 1979-1989, A Topographic Survey of Beirut (work in progress), 2011, 6 printed maps, 100x70cm each, topographic model, wood, cork, 100x140cm, in collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh, Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, detail, photo by Maryam Al Qassimi
Project Description
In 1979, Samir Ghosseini’s Hasna’ wa ‘Amaliqa (The Beauty and the Giants)
premiered in Beirut, marking the launch of the Lebanese action cinema genre.
With the civil war raging, the 1980s was a period when weapons and explosives were
easily accessible in Lebanon. It was also a time when urbanity was reconfigured and
geography disrupted. Action films weaved narratives that dissociated the cityscape
from historic and geographic specificity, producing new topographies.
In collaboration with Ahmad Gharbieh.
April 2011
This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 10
