Beirut Map Puts Abu Dhabi on Arts Map

Abu Dhabi is working quite hard to establish itself as the cultural center of the Arabian Gulf with offshoots of the Louvre and Guggenheim sprouting up on the island with the map of Beirut making its debut:

Marwan Rechmaoui’s “Beirut Caoutchouc”, a map of Lebanon’s capital made of 60 mats, was included in the first exhibition held on Abu Dhabi’s cultural island of Saadiyat.

Here is the exhibit:

Beirut Caoutchouc

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Obituary: Salwa Katrib

Lebanese artist, Salwa Katrib has died.

Lebanese icon Salwa Katrib died today, reported Arabic news website elaph.com.

Salwa, well-known Lebanese singer and TV icon, was admitted into hospital last Tuesday with a brain haemorrhage and fell into a coma.

My deepest condolences to her family. She was married to Nahi Lahoud, brother of writer and producer Romeo Lahoud. Also, today is her daughters birthday.

…her daughter Aline Lahoud, who was selected to sing for Lebanon at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, the nation’s debut appearance in the competition.

Unfortunately she had to pull out after TeleLiban refused to air the show because of an Israeli contestant on the show.

Check out these great posts:

• Beirut Map Puts Abu Dhabi on Arts Map