Marwan Rechmaoui
Lebanon
He rarely speaks about his work in public. He does not write texts, collect photographs, make videos, or stage performances. He insists that his objects, large, labor-intensive things crafted by hand or in factories, speak for themselves – Kaelen-Wilson Goldie
Marwan Rechmaoui is an artist based in Beirut. Deriving inspiration from the geography and rich cultural history of Beirut, Rechmaoui’s work often reflects themes of urbanization and contemporary social and behavioral demographics. He uses industrial materials such as concrete, rubber, tar and glass to create tactile works on a large scale.
He has taken part in many exhibitions and more recently in Home Works V in Beirut (2010), “Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East” at the Saatchi Gallery in London (2009), “Disorientation” in Abu Dhabi (2009), “Art Now in Lebanon” at the Al Darat Al Funnun in Amman, Jordan (2008), but also in the 7th Sharjah Biennial in the United Arab Emirates, and the “Contemporary Arab Representations” exhibition at the Bildmuseet in Umea, the Witte de Whit in Rotterdam, the Fundaciò Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona (2002). He currently lives and works in Beirut, Lebanon.
Created from industrial materials such as concrete, metal, rubber, tar, textile, and glass, Marwan Rechmaoui’s work reflects his methodical study of cartography, demographics and urbanisation. Focusing on socio-geographics, architecture and cultural histories of cities and mirroring the sociopolitical structure and complex multi-cultural history of the Arab world; he has produced a variety of works, some of which incorporate maps of city streets, objects with references to urban domestic life and landmarks and histories of Beirut.
