Partially Occupy Darkness

Ghassan Maasri

“Today, as soon as it gets dark, Dalieh feels unsafe as virgin nature should be: pitch dark at night, dead quiet and far from any urbanization. Why did the lights go off? Why is no one living down there anymore?” During four days, different areas of Dalieh were activated at night with a mobile and independent light box. People were invited to take part in activities like fishing, staring at the stars or claiming that “the revolution is won”, thus creating new memories based on the site’s potentials and narratives.

Date: 2017
Location: The Dalieh of Raouche
Medium: Installation, Sculpture, Urban Furniture
Material: Remote controlled color changing LED strips, wood, glass, 12V battery
Section: Contemporary
Duration: Temporary
Tags: Site-specific intervention Social practice Participatory art
   
Framework: Dalieh Watch Day
Authorizations: The Municipality of Beirut
Commissioner: TAP, the Civil Campaign to Protect the Dalieh of Raouche