Lebanon and the fallacy of good news

Artwork by Tarek Chemaly

Forget the extremely intelligent, even-handed, objective and as usual incredibly smart analysis by Mohammad Ibrahim Fheili, who completely nailed it (which he always does) - here. Realists have no place in Lebanon, they are called defeatists. And yes, I have been called so before many times - among other meaner, harsher, less impolite words (but that's a different story for a different blog post). But here's the thing, Lebanese people may be sectarian, divided, hold deep hatred towards each other, but each of them is - within his/her own logic - incredibly optimistic (see here for a sample).

But the Lebanese need any good news coming their way. Not matter if true or not. We are not doing well no matter whose side of the events you hear, because everyone is now hyping their own (fan) base and trying to tell them that they were right all along, and victorious all along the way, and that their (ever-shifting dogma and alliances) were the real and correct ones since time immemorial. Remind me of this in the next parliamentary elections please.

But it's summer and AC bills are killing everyone, the political climate is suffocating, no one knows who or what is responsible for anything. A lot of things go unsigned in ministries, logistics are hanging by a thread, no one is confronting their inner trauma but again - this is why everyone is desperate for a win. Somewhere, somehow. Direct flights (or talks of them) resuming between Lebanon and the US are one such consequence.

And our president being in the US and hosted by their president seems to be the perfect opportunity for that. Optics are everything and we Lebanese are very good at twisting them the way we want. I said it before and will say it again, Bill Farrell did utter "there's no truth in Beirut, only versions" (please note this has inspired by installation "no truce in Beirut, only virgins" - here).

This blog is now an adult. 18 years and ongoing!

Artwork by Tarek Chemaly

Oh heaven help us. You know one year I actually forgot my own birthday? Well, in the plethora of life, I have forgotten this blog's date of inception! January 11th 2007. This means I have been blogging and getting on people's nerves for 18 years and more. So basically, this blog is now an adult. 

I am truly trying to think what this all means. No no, not just the numbers which oddly are still here, even if as of late I am exceptionally busy, or because the source material got less and less due to the ad slump we are facing. I mean, somehow, I feel there is a shift, one which comes with age, the blog and mine's. I worry less and stress less and can't give a toss less. I feel more relaxed, a little more trusting that things will end up where they ought to end up without the histrionics from my side. 

Also, I am becoming more and more, overtly a "mentor" which I have always was, but now people (youngsters truth be told) call me so overtly. I was always generous with advice, but now they label it for what it is. Which I find a bit... tender? I am not sure if this is the word.

Of course with time, separating the personal me and the public me becomes a little difficult even if I try to do it. I still want to keep a part of me hidden and no up for public consumption. Despite the many projects I am helming at this point - even if teaching has been left off the menu due to different reasons. But who knows what the future can bring, even if no classroom dispensing knowledge and information is part of my DNA.

And this blog goes on, with all the eyeballs and numbers attached to it. Which makes me exceptionally proud as to why would anyone still be - 18 years later - interested to read my opinion and thoughts about advertising and communication at large.

But the machine never stops, there is even a new book coming out soon which I am co-authoring (hello Ali and Geoana!) to add to my growing collection of authored books, and this blog will soon have a strategic partner as well. I am not just "teasing" projects no, I am simply trying to say that the engine is still going in full gear. 

Exciting things are ahead.

Ah to be 18 and young!

OK, the blog is, I am not :)

End of year card 2022 is here!

 And the end of year card is here! Looks like you have been all good boys and girls to deserve one (I am realizing through my archive that some years I was lax and did not do one).

Here's the backlog though! What it strange however is that - for someone as organized as I am, it took me forever to find them - there is however one missing from 2002 (back when I was in Saudi Arabia but I do recall it was a simple downloaded nativity scene).

So here they are the cards throughout the years.

2000 - reissued 2008:

2009:

2011:

2012:

2013:

2014:

2015:

2016:

2018:

2019:

Dear artists, galleries are a dime a dozen!

Artwork by Tarek Chemaly

Hmmm, why am I writing this at this time?

Because maybe there are no ads to talk about, and the reality is already bleak enough for the Lebanese to go on about more talks about daily life and banks and other morose topics. But also because, I am creating art very very seriously since last lockdown. Now that before my art was not being created seriously, but rather the whole theme came together and I am exploring it to the end of it (see here). Of course, you might ask - how do you make a living out of art? Well, the answer, as with my personal life: "It's complicated".

But then again, as with everything, I had a clear strategy. The last time I was represented by a gallery - that would be 2013 - which was a smash exhibition with the public though it did not sell (no shame in that, rarely anyone sells despite bragging of the contrary). Anyhow, my first gallerist had shoddy ethics, my second gallerist simply did not like my work, my third was young and inexperienced, and my fourth did not gel with my style (despite excellent ethics from his side). But you might say: Oh that's your personal experience Tarek, look at Gary Gagosian, he built a full gallery in Rome just to represent Cy Twombly (who happened to reside there!). Yes, but that's Gagosian and Twombly. 

Which brings us to. Ok smarty pants, what's your strategy? Since 2013, after that famed exhibition and basically my disillusion with the gallery world, I promised myself not to put any penny in the production of my art. And it worked. All the exhibitions which I have done since, were paid for by other institutions. Space? For free. Printing? For free. Cocktails? For free. Communication? By myself, ergo, for free (I took control of all the material surrounding my exhibitions since 2013). Because it case you did not know, artists produce, frame, rent, pay for the reception cocktail, are expected to mount and dismantle (with the help of the gallery staff), and on top (in Lebanon at least) are expected to give 35% of sales to galleries (50% in New York for example). Which basically means, once all costs added, makes exhibiting via a gallery a losing prospect.

Now, some artists participate in municipal exhibitions, or in gardens, or such venues, I have nothing against. this is their strategy and I respect it. But this is not the one I had set for myself. With strong emphasis on concept, on execution, on scenography, and overall presentation, it does not reflect well on my work to be immersed in such environments. Still, between Instagram as a showcase, my books, and other online presences (this blog included), I have established a solid identity as an artist and control my narrative very meticulously, something no gallery can match (actually, I went through the website of all of my previous galleries and I realized the sites no longer exist - all four galleries), which means had it not been for my own archives, there would be no traces of the exhibitions.

Now thankfully, all of my archive is neatly preserved. Now just the large amount of work, but also the "making of" section (which comes in handy when one wants to replace or redo an artwork), the exhibitions, the published books (and again the pages and images), the video art (frame per frame when hand-animated).... So there, the day will come when all of this will be asked for (by whom I know not!). But of this, am sure. And no gallery is going to take credit for that. 

They are a dime a dozen, trust me!