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Lebanon celebrated the opening of the Saloua Raouda Choucair Museum, paying tribute to the pioneer of Arab abstract art. Nestled in a pine forest in Ras el-Metn, this artistic sanctuary offers an exceptional immersion into the world of this visionary artist.
An hour’s drive from the hustle and bustle of Beirut, the Saloua Raouda Choucair Museum opened its doors on June 24, 2024, the day that would have marked the 108the anniversary of the painter and sculptor. A veritable showcase dedicated to one of the most influential figures of modern art in the Middle East, this institution reaffirms Beirut’s position as a cultural beacon of the Arab world.
The building’s refined architecture, designed by Karim Bekdache, blends harmoniously into its natural setting, a preserved pine forest in Ras el-Metn. This symbiosis between art and nature echoes Choucair’s philosophy, which sought to establish a fruitful dialogue between his creations and their environment.
At the heart of this sanctuary, nearly 600 works reveal the full extent of the artist’s genius. Although 500 of them are exhibited, the ensemble offers an exhaustive panorama of his creative prolixity. Paintings, sculptures, but also furniture, carpets, ceramics and jewelry bear witness to Choucair’s conviction: art must intrude into every interstice of everyday life.
The museum, designed as an open-air reserve, challenges the codes of traditional museography. There is no hierarchy or imposed route: visitors are invited to wander freely among the works, to weave their own Ariadne’s thread in the labyrinth of Choucair’s universe. The artist’s personal archives, also accessible, offer an intimate dive into his creative genesis and intellectual journey.
Saloua Raouda Choucair, born in 1916 in Beirut, embodies the Lebanese artistic avant-garde. Her work, which spans more than seven decades, laid the foundations of abstract art in the Levant. Trained at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris in the effervescence of the post-war period, Choucair forged her singular style there, at the confluence of Western and Eastern aesthetics.
His abstract art draws on the most diverse sources: sacred geometry of Islam, Sufi poetry, natural sciences, mathematics… Choucair has transmuted these influences into a new visual language, combining the rigor of composition with a vibrant spirituality. His modular sculptures, like visual stanzas, embody this quest for essence and infinity.
The work of Saloua Raouda Choucair, exhibited in this new museum, bears witness to an exceptional artistic journey that began well before the opening of this institution. Her artistic journey took her to Paris in 1948, where she studied under the tutelage of Fernand Léger and participated in the founding of the Atelier de l’art Abstrait. In 1951, she became one of the first Arab artists to exhibit at the prestigious Salon des réalités nouvelles, marking her entry onto the international abstract art scene.
What distinguishes Choucair’s work is her unique ability to fuse Western abstraction with Islamic aesthetics. Fueled by her passions for science, architecture, mathematics, and Arabic poetry, she has created a distinctive visual language that transcends cultural and temporal boundaries.
His sculptures, often inspired by Sufi philosophy, explore the concepts of infinity and the interconnectedness of forms. The use of repetitive and modular forms evokes infinity, symbolizing endless continuity and universal unity. Arabic poetry has also played a crucial role in his work, providing inspiration for his complex visual compositions and exploration of themes of beauty and transcendence.
Choucair also incorporated elements of Islamic craft traditions into her art, using geometric patterns and tessellation techniques. This fusion of tradition and innovation allowed her to create a unique style, making her a key figure in modern art.
By dedicating this museum to Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanon is celebrating one of its tutelary figures, but also a whole generation of pioneering artists who shaped Arab artistic modernity. This museum consecration embodies a true act of transmission, building a bridge between generations. Hala Schoukair, the artist’s daughter and president of the Saloua Raouda Choucair Foundation, expresses the hope that this place will serve as an inspiration to other institutions. She hopes that they will in turn engage in promoting Lebanese cultural heritage and help rekindle the creative flame in the heart of the country.
Today, Saloua Raouda Choucair’s works are included in the permanent collections of the world’s greatest museums, testifying to her lasting impact on contemporary art.
Beyond the tribute, this museum is a manifesto. It strongly reaffirms the vitality of the Lebanese artistic scene, despite the turbulence that has marked its recent history. It reminds us that Beirut, a crossroads of cultures and imaginations, remains a fertile land for contemporary creation.
By crossing the threshold of this sanctuary of abstract art, the visitor enters a space outside of time, where the creative gesture of Saloua Raouda Choucair perpetuates and reinvents itself endlessly. In the hushed silence of the pines of Ras el-Metn, her work vibrates with a timeless energy, like a call to embrace the ineffable beauty of the world.
