Fabienne Touma

At a time when conflicts are destabilizing cultural balances and directly threatening the treasures of the past, some exhibitions go beyond the purely artistic realm to become genuine acts of cultural resistance. That is precisely the case with the exhibition "Byblos, Millennial City of Lebanon," on display until August 23, 2026, at the Institut du monde arabe (IMA) in Paris. Featuring nearly 400 objects, it traces the ancient history of Byblos, one of the oldest ports in the world, while remaining firmly rooted in current events and the conflict that continues to affect Lebanon and the Middle East today. For the exhibition has also, in spite of itself, been shaped by war.

In a previous article, we noted that despite the succession of crises that have beset Lebanon, the country’s artistic scene has continued to display remarkable resilience, both at home and abroad. Exhibitions, festivals, gallery openings, new institutions and heritage initiatives: art and culture linked to Lebanon have never entirely disappeared, despite formidable challenges. On the contrary, they now appear to be regaining momentum, contributing to the emergence of a form of cultural diplomacy on the international stage and offering a glimpse of what could become a distinct cultural policy for the Land of the Cedars.

A Lebanese Pop-Up Store is being organized on May 30 and 31 in Paris at the Aalamuna gallery by the company ELFAN to promote Lebanese artists. This new ELFAN initiative is part of a broader global movement aimed at supporting Lebanese artists by developing Lebanese cultural presence in France and Europe. Before outlining the context of this new Lebanese Pop-Up, a brief overview of the ongoing global dynamics, in which Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé is participating, seems useful in several respects. For several years, particularly since the events of 2019 and the explosion at Beirut port in August 2020, Lebanese culture has been experiencing growing momentum abroad. Clearly, Lebanese cultural initiatives outside Lebanon are not new: the diaspora has always played an essential role in promoting and showcasing Lebanese cultural identity. But today, this phenomenon appears to be taking on a new scale.