Tony Chakar frequently incorporates literature, philosophy and theory in his works. All That is Solid Melts into Air (2000) is a reproduction of the first modern map of Beirut, drawn by the Danish Consul as a gift to the Ottoman Sultan. However, the map does not follow contemporary mapmaking conventions. North is at the bottom of the drawing, either a reference to the inward direction from which the Danish Consul entered Beirut or a gesture to Chinese and Arab mapmaking traditions in which south is always pointed up. In any case, the map shows triumphant modernity beyond the ancient city walls as well as pre-modern signs of mapmakingas not everything in it is shown in vertical projection. The work reflects on the map as being a pragmatic image as much as it is a ‘made object’; it is a constructed territory and a readableconvention in specific historical circumstances.