2021 Arsenale, Venice Biennale, Italy

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura

Stone Garden. Resilient Living
An Archaeology of the Future 

Putting on display the recently completed Stone Garden tower in Beirut, this installation portrays the capacity of architecture to act as a healing tool and be an active player in building resilience at times of crisis. Located near the city’s industrial port, a mile away from the epicenter of the explosion that ripped through half of the Lebanese capital in August 2020, the project takes its roots from its context: a war-torn cityscape lingering in constant mishap. The installation counts a scaled model of the building containing photographs and videos and narrating the story of Beirut and that of the crafting of the project.

The architecture of the building showcases alternative ways of living while dealing with questions of space restriction, the vernacular, memory, nature, living, and urban density. Echoing Beirut’s ruins invaded by nature, the tower manifests a persistent and optimistic emergence of life with large openings housing lush gardens, inviting nature at the heart of the dwellings and the city. 

Explaining the semantics of Stone Garden’s architecture, the many “windows of life” of the model open onto a rich curation of photography and video works unveiling the building process and the story of the land in which it emerges. Interiors uncover diverse dwelling scenes where ghost-like, singular figurines are shown wandering in an awaiting mode. These are set amidst a series of prominent Lebanese artists’ photography portraying both lush green landscapes and war-torn built scapes. TV-like screens reveal in intimacy the crafting of the building’s skin as artisan prepares — as a bake — the plaster mix and smoothly comb the envelope as if plowing a fertile ground.   

Exhibited: Physical model (1:30) of the building containing photographic prints and LED screens with video montage, material samples (clay, cement, pigments, metal), video montage of the building in its context.

Miniature artworks within model — photos by Ali Cherri, Nadim Asfar, Gregory Buchakjian, Gilbert Hage / films by Ieva Saudargaite and Ghassan Salhab.
Background screen — photos by Iwan Baan / drone film by Wissam Charaf and Chloe Domat.

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Copyrights

Photos © Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0012_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (17)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0004_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (1)

Installation as exhibited in the Biennale Arsenale's "Corderie" section

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0005_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (6)

Model (1:30), display table with tools and material samples, LED screen

Projected video. Photos © Iwan Baan / Drone film © Wissam Charaf and Chloe Domat

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_5
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0003_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (21)

Custom hand-chisel used by artisans to comb the facade of the building

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0004_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (19)

Material samples (clay, cement, pigments, metal), studio experiments, ruins and tools used during construction

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Plan_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0000_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (25)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0010_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (9)

"Mises en scène" with photographs and films by Lebanese artists portraying landscapes of nature and of war

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0006_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (16)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0003_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (3)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0009_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (12)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_4
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_2
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0001_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (24)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_©-Lina-Ghotmeh-—-Architecture-(24)

Local artisans combing the skin of the building

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Tool

Deconstructed custom hand-chisel for the combing of the facade

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0002_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (23)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0011_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (10)

Ghost-like figures stand in stasis among the diverse artworks depicting Beirut and its history

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0010_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (26)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0002_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (7)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0007_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (14)

Screens placed within the intimity of interior spaces expose the vernacular construction process of Stone Garden

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_3
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0008_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (13)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_0
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0000_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (18)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Section
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Diagram_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0009_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (27)

Info + Press

Project information

Status
Completed
Location
Arsenale, Venice Biennale, Italy
Date
2021
Program
Narrative exhibition around Stone Garden project & Beirut. Selected for the exhibition of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021 curated by Hashim Sarkis and entitled "How Will We Live Together".

Project team

Scenography, Model Design & Curation
Lina Ghotmeh
Model Realization & Construction
Modelab
Artists (Background screen)
Photos by Iwan Baan / Drone film by Wissam Charaf and Chloe Domat / Editing Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture
Artists & Photographers (exhibited inside model)
Ali Cherri, Gilbert Hage, Gregory Bouchakjian, Nadim Asfar, (Photos) / leva Saudergaité, Ghassan Salhab (Films)

Published in

Konfekt May 22 2021
Konfekt (Ch)
The New York Times May 20 2021
The New York Times (Us)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0012_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (17)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0004_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (1)

Installation as exhibited in the Biennale Arsenale's "Corderie" section

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0005_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (6)

Model (1:30), display table with tools and material samples, LED screen

Projected video. Photos © Iwan Baan / Drone film © Wissam Charaf and Chloe Domat

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_5
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0003_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (21)

Custom hand-chisel used by artisans to comb the facade of the building

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0004_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (19)

Material samples (clay, cement, pigments, metal), studio experiments, ruins and tools used during construction

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Plan_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0000_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (25)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0010_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (9)

"Mises en scène" with photographs and films by Lebanese artists portraying landscapes of nature and of war

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0006_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (16)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0003_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (3)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0009_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (12)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_4
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_2
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0001_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (24)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_©-Lina-Ghotmeh-—-Architecture-(24)

Local artisans combing the skin of the building

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Tool

Deconstructed custom hand-chisel for the combing of the facade

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0002_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (23)

Ruins, vestiges

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0011_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (10)

Ghost-like figures stand in stasis among the diverse artworks depicting Beirut and its history

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0010_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (26)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0002_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (7)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0007_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (14)

Screens placed within the intimity of interior spaces expose the vernacular construction process of Stone Garden

Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_3
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Paysage-1680x1120__0008_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (13)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture ART_0
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0000_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (18)
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Section
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0011_Diagram_1
Stone Garden - 17th Biennale Architettura Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture Biennale_Portrait-834x1112_0009_© Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture (27)