Let’s unpack the story behind the title. The  term Biennale traces back to Venice 1895. In Italian, it simply means ‘every two years’ but it has since become a symbol of an ambitious artistic gathering to mark every two years with a provocation, a conversation, a daring attempt to define the spirit of the time.

On the other hand, AMAR is an acronym for the Foundation for Arab Music Archiving & Research – a name familiar to those who follow the region’s musical heritage and know the institution for its years of quiet but steady documenting, publishing, exhibiting and broadcasting of a rich array of Arab Renaissance music of the last century.

The question presents itself: why would AMAR – an institution already respected for its archival work – embark on a biennale instead of continuing to do more of the same and on a project-by-project basis? Why would this foundation, whose founder and president, Mr. Kamal Kassar, lauded as its main supporter, adopt such a project beyond the ability of one person to fund it? Why now, when cultural funding is drying up, when audiences seem fragmented, and when the sheer weight of continuity is exhausting?

The answer lies not in logic but in necessity. As absurd as it may seem, it is a desire, an act of longing. But it is also a mighty feat, an act of defiance, to preserve what is left of our collective memories, to amplify what still resonates and to engage almost therapeutically with the fragments of our cultural identities.

To pick on one theme from the archives and garner all efforts around it is similar to prescribing a multivitamin to a body suffering from cultural malnourishment. If the Arab body is wasting away culturally speaking, the cause might be an irreparable memory loss, or a nonchalance towards the richness of its diversity. While the shortcomings of clinical wisdom remind us that not all treatments have an effect, some do revive our spirit and stir up our imagination – awakening dormant residues that speak to the heart.

The AMAR Biennale is not just an event. It is a gamble on the idea that art - archival, satirical, performative - can still speak to a body in need of healing, even if it does not always guarantee a cure. And every two years, we will give it a shot.

Songs of Satire, the title of the inaugural edition of the AMAR Biennale, is both direct and evocative. It captures the spirit of this initiative which unfolds across diverse regions of the Arab region and spans over a century. What distinguishes this edition is AMAR’s exploration of a subject traditionally not central to its work. Historically, the foundation’s publications have focused on the classical forms of Arabic Renaissance music, such as Dawr, Muwashshah, Taqsim, Bashraf, and Samã'i, to feature a different sonic landscape. The emphasis here is on popular genres like Taqtũqa, Monologue, Duet, Anashid, and Marches, particularly from Egypt and Bilad al-Sham, as well as Shaãbi and Kabyle from Algeria and Gnawa from Morocco.

4-11 May              

Artist residency at AMAR’s premises in Qornet El Hamra, El-Matn (invitational)

9:00 – 17:00          (4 and 5 May)

9:00 – 15:00          (6 - 10 May)

9:00 – 21:30          (11 May) * all day at Sursock Museum, Beirut

6 May    

Launch of AMAR Biennale- First Edition 2025- Songs of Satire | Public programme at Sursock Museum, Beirut

18:00 –18:30        Launch of AMAR Biennale- Welcome note

18:30 – 20:00       Launch of new AMAR publication and panel

20:00 – 21:00       Apero

7-10 May              

AMAR Biennale public programme (continued), Sursock Museum, Beirut

17:00 – 18:30       Panel

18:30 - 19:30        Break

19:30 – 21:30       Screening and discussion

11 May                  

End of AMAR Biennale and concert

19:30 –20:00        AMAR closing remarks

 20:00 –21:30        Concert performed by musicians in AMAR’s artist residency programme

‘Omar al-Z’inni is back in Beirut’: A series of short video interludes produced using artificial intelligence

Omar al-Z’inni’s old audio recordings have endured from the last century to the present day. Unfortunately, no videos exist that capture his artistic performances or his daily life. Given how his work continues to reflect and engage with today’s social and political issues -resonating with the new generation - we turned to Artificial Intelligence. Using scattered photographs, research, and stories about his life and music, we aim to bring back to life the legacy of this satirical artist who is deeply committed to justice and people’s causes. 

Free entrance