Conceptual art in Beirut: Farid Haddad’s “Hearts and Monuments”
Monique Bellan’s new article on Smart History

“What is this exhibition? It is not serious.” [1] With these words, a Lebanese art critic, Nazih Khater, expressed the confusion that many visitors felt during the opening of Farid Haddad’s exhibition “Hearts and Monuments” on March 7, 1972, at the newly founded Contact Art Gallery in Beirut, Lebanon. Reactions to the exhibition, and to the works he presented, created a controversy. While some art critics praised the experimental exhibition, others were confused by the sketchy nature of the signed pieces. In the exhibition’s booklet, Haddad revealed that he never thought of “finishing” a painting. For him, starting one was far more interesting. Read more.
Dr. Monique Bellan, “Conceptual art in Beirut: Farid Haddad’s “Hearts and Monuments”,” in Smarthistory, February 24, 2025, accessed February 26, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/beirut-farid-haddads-hearts-and-monuments/.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Nadia von Maltzahn (February 26, 2025). Conceptual art in Beirut: Farid Haddad’s “Hearts and Monuments”. LAWHA Lebanon's Art World at Home and Abroad. Retrieved May 20, 2025 from https://lawha.hypotheses.org/2015