Beirut Mapped

Beirut Mapped is an editorial project that invites reflections on the city of Beirut from the perspective of artists and writers who live there. Lebanon is living through a crippling economic crisis alongside the global pandemic, and coping with the effects of the devastating port explosion of 4 August 2020. Popular uprisings against government corruption began in October 2019, and the movement has continued around lockdowns. In the midst of struggle and loss—of human life, homes, and cultural heritage—what places or objects best capture the city’s present, speak to its history, and look to its future? The project seeks to build a partial and imperfect map of Beirut, through its material and intangible traces. Beirut Mapped is organised in partnership with the Arab Image Foundation, Beirut, and is part of the V&A’s Jameel Programming. The Beirut Mapped posts are commissioned and edited by the V&A Jameel Curator, Rachel Dedman.