The programme was launched with an open call, inviting applications from artists and artist collectives based in Lebanon working with different mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and installation.
While receiving over 70 promising applications, an esteemed jury of practitioners and professionals has selected a round-up of 23 emerging visual artists working in Lebanon to participate in the program.
Jurors Antoine Haddad (Director – Artlab Gallery), Bettina Khoury Badr (visual artist and educator), Marc Mouarkech (Arts and Culture Programmes Manager – British Council Lebanon), Richard Noyce (writer, scholar and art critic) and Sirine Fattouh (visual artist and researcher) have selected: Ahmad Ghaddar, Alaa Itani, Asadour Garvanian, Bahaa Souki, Collectif 1200 (Betty Ketchedjian, Elsie Haddad, Ieva Saudargaite Douaihi, Laura Menassa, Manu Ferneini, Myriam Boulos, Omar Gabriel, Paul Gorra, Rima Maroun, Roger Mokbel, and Walid Nehme), Elias Nafaa, Gabriela Choueifaty, Gosha Beshlyana, Laeticia El Hakim, Mia Baraka, Shames Safiedine, Tarek Haddad, and Walid Elmays.
But first, a CATAPULT Podcast
In the second episode of the CATAPULT Podcast series (see below), Tarek Mourad of Artlab and Beirut Printmaking Studio, Ghassan Salameh, Design Curator and Cultural Consultant, and Betty Ketchedjian, visual artist and a participant in the programme discussed the current state of the Arts scene and proposed – each drawing from their practice – ways of counteracting the effects of the past two years moving forward. While reflecting on the role of galleries and arts institutions, and balancing personal and collective efforts, the conversation highlights the importance of programmes such as CATAPULT in recognising the potential of emerging talent and building resilient support systems. The episode concludes on a note from Cicely Farrer of Hospitalfield about the residency being offered to two artists from CATAPULT.visual’arts.