"Asseilly is referring to the staggering challenges that she has faced since opening her space in the Lebanese capital's port (or marfa' in Arabic). These include widespread civil protests, the country's economic crisis and, most devastatingly, the Port of Beirut explosion in 2020, which killed more than 200 people and destroyed much of the surrounding neighbourhood, including the gallery's premises. "Everything was shattered," she says. "But starting again wasn't simply about creating new walls. It was learning how to continue in a completely new context.""
"In a testament to her will, and the resilience of the Beirut art scene, less than a year later Asseily rebuilt her gallery. She credits her global network of fellow dealers for inspiring her, in part, to do so. "In 2020, a large group of gallerists were organising weekly shows in their space, which they shared virtually, when the world couldn't travel," she says. Prompted to do the same, Asseily reopened her gallery with a group show on the theme of water."
Marfa' Projects marks ten years after opening in Beirut's port, surviving civil protests, a severe economic crisis and the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion that destroyed the original premises and killed more than 200 people. Founder Joumana Asseily rebuilt the gallery less than a year later, drawing on a global network of dealers and virtual exhibition ideas developed during pandemic travel restrictions. The gallery reopened with a water-themed group show and later received peer support during the 2024 bombardment, including offers of office space and invitations to shared-gallery projects such as Condo in London. The tenth-anniversary show includes consignments from fellow galleries.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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