A heartfelt Lebanese photography collection explores the nostalgic feelings of homeland.
In the heart of Beirut, Lebanese artist Charbel Alkhoury captures the complex emotions of seeking asylum and the longing for home in his photography book Not Here Not There. This poignant visual narrative offers a quiet yet intense reflection on displacement, liminality, and the ache of not belonging fully "here" or "there".
Alkhoury, a Beirut-born artist based in Brussels with a background in photography and multimedia, uses his artistic practice to blur boundaries between places and states of being. His book evokes the unsettled feeling of existing between movement and stillness, intimacy and distance, which mirrors his personal and broader sociopolitical contexts.
Not Here Not There spans 88 pages, taking readers on a journey through three cities: Byblos, Zouk Mosbeh, and Beirut. The photographs in the book are overexposed or heavily saturated, giving them a hazy, disoriented appearance that mirrors the emotional tension Alkhoury felt during his journey.
The photographs evoke an urgent, raw energy, with protest scenes being the only ones to include people. Alkhoury reminisces about sweaty nights standing outside bars, long summer days at the beach, and protesting in the streets when thinking about home. One of his most poignant series captures the soft heart-shaped glows of roadside lights from his Beirut home.
The process of putting together Not Here Not There was emotional and unplanned, much like the experiences it seeks to capture. Alkhoury's book, published by Middle East Archive, is priced at 35€ and can be purchased on his website, middleastarchive.com.
In addition to Not Here Not There, Alkhoury is currently working on two new research-led projects that blend video and installation. One of his new projects explores occult practices as forms of resistance. As Alkhoury continues to push the boundaries of his art, he hopes that Not Here Not There gives space for reflection on leaving, remembering, and carrying fragments of home.
- Charbel Alkhoury's photography book, Not Here Not There, delves into the realm of 'books' and 'education-and-self-development', offering insights into seeking asylum and longing for home.
- The 'lifestyle' portrayed in the book is a complex blend of movement and stillness, intimacy and distance, mirroring the artist's personal and social context.
- The 'food-and-drink' and 'home-and-garden' scenes depicted in Not Here Not There include personal reminiscences of nights outside bars, summer days at the beach, and protesting in the streets.
- While travel is not the primary focus of the book, it takes readers on a journey through three cities: Byblos, Zouk Mosbeh, and Beirut.
- Alkhoury's latest endeavors, 'entertainment' projects that blend video and installation, promise to continue pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression, much like his photography book Not Here Not There.
