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The Visual Politics of Beirut: Global Sixties in the Global Middle East

Christian Carter

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Published in Cosmopolitan Radicalism: The Visual Politics Of Beirut S Global Sixties (The Global Middle East 13)

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The Visual Politics of Beirut: Global Sixties in the Global Middle East explores the visual culture of Beirut in the 1960s, a period of great political and social change in the city and the region. The book examines how visual artists, photographers, and filmmakers used their work to shape the city's identity and to challenge traditional notions of Arab culture and society.

Cosmopolitan Radicalism: The Visual Politics of Beirut s Global Sixties (The Global Middle East 13)

Cosmopolitan Radicalism: The Visual Politics of Beirut's Global Sixties (The Global Middle East Book 13)

by Zeina Maasri

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	32712 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	344 pages

During the 1960s, Beirut was a major center of cultural and intellectual activity in the Middle East. The city was home to a vibrant art scene, and its artists, photographers, and filmmakers were at the forefront of new and innovative forms of artistic expression. Their work reflected the city's cosmopolitan and open-minded atmosphere, and it helped to shape the city's identity as a center of modernity and progress.

The Visual Politics of Beirut examines the work of a variety of visual artists, photographers, and filmmakers who were active in Beirut during the 1960s. The book includes essays on the work of artists such as Dia Azzawi, Saloua Raouda Choucair, and Etel Adnan, as well as photographers such as Hashem el Madani and Fouad Elkoury. The book also includes essays on the work of filmmakers such as Maroun Baghdadi and Jocelyn Saab.

The Visual Politics of Beirut argues that the work of these visual artists, photographers, and filmmakers played a significant role in shaping the city's identity and in challenging traditional notions of Arab culture and society. Their work helped to create a new visual language for Beirut, one that was both modern and cosmopolitan, and it helped to open up the city to new ideas and influences.

The Global Sixties

The 1960s was a period of great political and social change around the world. The decade saw the rise of new social movements, such as the civil rights movement in the United States and the student movement in France. It also saw the beginning of the Vietnam War, which would have a profound impact on the world. In the Middle East, the 1960s was a time of great political upheaval, with the rise of Arab nationalism and the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

The Visual Politics of Beirut argues that the visual culture of Beirut in the 1960s was shaped by these global events. The city's artists, photographers, and filmmakers were influenced by the new ideas and movements that were sweeping the world, and their work reflected the city's own experience of political and social change.

The Global Middle East

The Visual Politics of Beirut also examines the city's role in the global Middle East. Beirut was a major center of cultural and intellectual exchange between the Arab world and the West, and its visual culture reflected this global context.

The book argues that the visual culture of Beirut in the 1960s helped to create a new image of the Middle East. This image was one that was more modern and cosmopolitan than the traditional image of the region, and it helped to challenge stereotypes about Arab culture and society.

The Visual Politics of Beirut is a groundbreaking study of the visual culture of Beirut in the 1960s. The book examines how visual artists, photographers, and filmmakers used their work to shape the city's identity and to challenge traditional notions of Arab culture and society. The book also argues that the visual culture of Beirut was shaped by global events and that it played a role in creating a new image of the Middle East.

The Visual Politics of Beirut is a valuable contribution to the study of the Middle East and of the 1960s. The book provides a new perspective on the city of Beirut and its role in the global Middle East. It also sheds light on the ways in which visual culture can be used to shape political and social change.