BAHH in collaboration with The Laab presents:

A Collapsing Performance of A Collapsing Lexicon

'Arsat, NGOs, 1500, Collapse, Panic, Collapse, Haircut, Collapse, Depositors, Future, Collapse, 1500, Future, Panic, Collapse, Depositors, Future, Collapse, Support, Son-In-Law, Silos, Victory, Subscription, 'Arsat…

From one word to the next and back, the performance goes through all the entries in A Collapsing Lexicon, illustrating them through different actions and images mined out of our memories, imaginaries, and bodies, to reflect the contrasting meanings these words hold.

Devised by Fatima Mroueh, Nassim Banna, and Hashem Adnan

Performed by Fatima Mroueh and Nassim Banna

Video by Carla Aouad

Music arrangement: Mahmoud Abou Zeid

Directed by Hashem Adnan

Location: Zoukak theatre

Dates: 07 and 08 September 2023

Doors open at 7:30

Show starts at 8

Followed by a discussion and book launch

About the book:

A Collapsing Lexicon interrogates the political character of words and images by exploring language’s entanglement with Lebanon’s economic collapse.

We crowdsourced a number of terms that have shifted, reversed, or acquired new meanings since the economic crisis began making itself felt in 2019, and invited contributors to react to them. The result is a publication - available both online and in print - as well as a series of performances and debates in venues across the country.

All together, they provide a small snapshot of this time in Lebanese history, where an economic collapse has extended to the collapse of meaning itself.

Book Team:

Contributors: Hashem Adnan, Vivane Akiki, Hassan AlSahily, Masad Asaad, Naim Halawi, Serge Harfouche, Sarah Kaddoura, Chrystèle Khodr, Sahar Mandour, Sara Mourad, Rima Rantisi, Fawzi Zabyan, Amal Taleb

Editors: Hashem Adnan, Cynthia Kreichati, Lina Mounzer, Rami Rajeh, Jana Traboulsi

Foreword: Omar Al-Ghazzi

Introduction: Cynthia Kreichati

Visual Research: Alaa Mansour

Translations to English: Joumana Seikaly

Translation to Arabic: Viviane Akiki

An initiative from The Laab.

With support from the OSUN Center for

Human Rights & the Arts at Bard College.

Thanks to Hiba Najem, Jihad Saadeh, Rashad Shouman, Saseen Kawzali, Ghassan Halawani, Mansion and Zoukak theatre team