Sursock Museum
قصر سرسق
The Sursock Museum in Beirut
Established1961 (1961)
LocationBeirut, Lebanon
Coordinates33°53′34.59″N 35°30′58.42″E / 33.8929417°N 35.5162278°E / 33.8929417; 35.5162278
Typemodern art and contemporary art
Websitesursock.museum

The Sursock Museum (Arabic: قصر سرسق), officially known as the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum, is a modern and contemporary art museum in Beirut, Lebanon.

History

In 1912, the wealthy and prominent Lebanese aristocrat Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock built the private villa that now houses the museum. He decreed in his will that the villa be transformed into a museum.[1] When he died in 1952, he bequeathed the villa to the city of Beirut.[2] The museum opened in 1961, directed by Amine Beyhum, with an exhibit of works of contemporary Lebanese artists, setting a precedent for cultural events in Beirut.[3]

The marble stairs of the museum

The Sursock Museum building exemplifies Lebanese architecture, with its Italianate (specifically Venetian) and Ottoman architectural influences.[2] It is one of the few remaining villas from its epoch in Beirut. It is located in the historic Rue Sursock in the Rmeil district of Beirut. The street is home to other mansions that were built in the 19th century by Beirut's most prominent families, such as the Sursocks and the Bustroses, even though this architectural heritage is threatened by developers and an almost-unregulated real estate market.

More than a hundred exhibitions have been held at the museum, including displays of works by Lebanese and international artists. The museum's permanent collection includes modern art, Japanese engravings and Islamic art.[4] The museum collection consists of over 800 artworks, including paintings, sculptures and graphic arts from the 19th and 20th centuries.[5]

On 4 August 2020, the museum sustained significant damage and some of its artworks were destroyed as a result of a catastrophic ammonium nitrate explosion.[6]

The museum was restored thanks to the financial commitment from various donors among them the Italian government with a donation of one million euro in May 2021.[7] It finally reopened on 26 May 2023.[8]

Expansion

The museum was expanded with four new underground floors beneath the current garden, at a cost of US$12 million.[5] French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Lebanese architect Jacques Abou Khaled designed the expansion project.[9]

The project increased the museum's area from 1,500 square meters to 8,500 square meters and opened additional exhibition spaces, a research library, an auditorium, a restoration workshop, new storage spaces for the collection, as well as a store and restaurant.[10] The museum reopened on 8 October 2015.

Collection

The following is a list of Lebanese and international artists whose works are in the museum's permanent collection:

Exhibition history

  • Les arts plastiques au service de l'architecture, 1969
  • Art islamique, 1974
  • Hommage à Jean Khalife, 1993[11]
  • Omar Onsi Rétrospective, 1997 [12]
  • Georges Schehadé : poète des deux rives, 1905-1989, 1999[13]
  • Max Ernst, 2000[14]
  • Sergei Parajanov, collages and drawings, 2000[15]
  • Moustafa Farroukh Rétrospective, 2003 [16]
  • Regards sur Beyrouth, 160 ans d'images, 2015 [17]
  • Danielle Genadry, The Fall, 2016 [18]
  • Assadour, landscape in Motion, 2016 [19]
  • Ali Cherri. A Taxonomy of Fallacies: The Life of Dead Objects, 2016 [20]
  • Let's Talk About the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis, 2016 [21]
  • Susan Hiller Magic Lantern, 2016[22]
  • Adelita Husni-Bey: A Wave in the Well, 2016[23]
  • Fabrik, 2017[24]
  • Les mondes de Willy Aractingy, 2017[25]
  • Hrair Sarkissian Homesick, 2017[26]
  • Partitions et Couleurs : Hommage à Amine El Bacha, 2017[27]
  • Fruit of Sleep. Curated by Reem Fadda – Part of Act II program of Tamawuj, Sharjah Biennial 13, 2017[28]
  • Monira Al Qadiri: The Craft, 2017[29]
  • Abed Al Kadiri, The Story of the Rubber Tree, 2018[30]
  • Cy Twombly Photographs, 2018[31]
  • Zad Moultaka: ŠamaŠ[32]
  • Fleeting Exits, Curated by Marwan T. Assaf, 2018[33]
  • Past Disquiet, Curated by Kristine Khouri and Rasha Salti, 2018[34]
  • Gregory Buchakjian Abandoned Dwellings, Display of Systems, Curated by Karina El Helou, 2018[35]
  • Laure et Mazen : Correspondance(s), 2019[36]
  • La Fabrique des illusions: Collection Fouad Debbas et commentaires contemporains, 2019[37]
  • Baalbek, Archives of an Eternity, curated by Vali Mahlouji, 2019[38]
  • Picasso et la famille, 2019[39]
  • At the still point of the turning world, there is the dance. Curated by Carla Chammas and Rachel Dedman, 2019[40]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Guides.hotelbook.com, Events Guide: Sursock Museum (Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon)
  2. 1 2 Daratalfunun.org Archived 2007-04-23 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Galleries Beirut, Sursock museum, Georges Guv Aref Rayess, John Haddian, Levon Moumjian. Madi Hussein
  4. ↑ "Lebanon-tourism.gov.lb". Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  5. 1 2 Annahar.com Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Bishara, Hakim (5 August 2020). "Deadly Explosion in Beirut Decimates Thousands of Buildings, Including Galleries and Museums". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Libano: restauri a tempo di record per il museo Sursock - Cultura" (in Italian). 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  8. ↑ Helene Sallon:Beirut's Sursock Museum, a showcase for Lebanese art, reopens. Le Monde, 31 May 2023
  9. ↑ "Jadesigns-architects.com". Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  10. ↑ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/Jul/14/Mitri-presents-project-to-expand-Sursock-
  11. ↑ Sursock, Musée (1998). "Hommage à Jean Khalife". Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  12. ↑ "Retrospective Omar Onsi au musée Sursock". L'Orient-Le Jour. 8 February 1997. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Georges Schehadé : poète des deux rives, 1905-1989. WorldCat. OCLC 407050949.
  14. ↑ Laure d'Hauteville (1 April 2000). "Max Ernst Le magicien des palpitations subtiles". Le Commerce du Levant. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. ↑ Sonia Nigolian (2000). "Serguei Paradjanov. Ce magicien a ensorcelé la banalité". La revue du Liban. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "CULTURE Rétrospective Moustafa Farroukh au musée Sursock (photo)". L'Orient-Le Jour. 8 February 1997. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. ↑ Marie Josée Rizkallah (12 October 2015). "" Regards sur Beyrouth " une odyssée en image dans le Beyrouth d'antan". Libananews. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. ↑ ""The Fall", Danielle Genadry". L'Agenda Culturel. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Olga Habre (18 March 2016). "Assadour: an artist in motion Sursock Museum launches new art exhibition". Executive Life. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. ↑ Kevin Jones (September 2016). "A Taxonomy of Fallacies: The Life of Dead Objects Ali Cherri". ArtAsiaPacific. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. ↑ Kaelen Wilson-Goldie (2016). "Let's Talk About the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis". Artforum. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  22. ↑ "Susan Hiller". The Hyman Collection. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  23. ↑ "Exhibition: Adelita Husni-Bey: A Wave in the Well". Lebtivity. 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  24. ↑ "FABRIK at the Sursock Museum". Lebanon Traveller. 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  25. ↑ "Les mondes de Willy Aractingi". L'Agenda Culturel. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  26. ↑ Murtaza Vali (January 2015). "Beyond Exile: Hrair Sarkissian's Homesick". Nafas Art Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  27. ↑ "Partitions et Couleurs : Hommage à Amine El Bacha". Artforum. 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  28. ↑ "Fruit of Sleep". Nafas Art Magazine. November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  29. ↑ Michaela Bear (30 August 2017). "Monira Al Qadiri's immersive exhibition at Gasworks transports viewers into an eerie world of American popular culture and extra-terrestrial visitations". Trebuchet Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  30. ↑ "Abed Al Kadiri, The Story of the Rubber Tree". MutualArt. 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  31. ↑ "Cy Twombly" (PDF). Gagosian. 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  32. ↑ "ŠamaŠ pour la première fois au Liban". Le Petit Journal. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  33. ↑ "Fleeting Exits, s'echapper de soir pour se retrouver". Femme Magazine. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  34. ↑ Mathilde Rouxel (3 October 2018). "Past Disquiet : Exposer l'art en exil". OnOrient. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  35. ↑ Kirsten O'Regan (6 December 2018). "Photographs of Beirut's Abandoned Houses, Decades After the Civil War". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  36. ↑ "Laure et Mazen : Correspondance(s)". L'Agenda Culturel. 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  37. ↑ "Exposition photo: La Fabrique des illusions : Collection Fouad Debbas et commentaires contemporains". L'Œil de la Photographie. 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  38. ↑ "The Baalbeck Exhibit is a Cultural Panorama of Lebanon". Al Bawaba. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  39. ↑ "Picasso et la famille". Executive Bulletin. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  40. ↑ "At the Still Point of the Turning World, There is the Dance". Aramco World. 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
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