Lebanese artist Dinah Diwan discusses her Beirut-inspired 2021 multimedia artwork that was shown at the inaugural edition of the Menart exhibition in Paris last month.

 

The "Wandering City" series began in 2018, with her memoir, which she wrote in 1975. She describes the many paths she took in Beirut when she was 13 years old. Saying, "We were very free at that moment; we could do whatever we wanted, but we were very aware of the political situation. I was writing everything that was happening in Lebanon at the beginning of the civil war."

She chose the color pink because it expresses joy and happiness. Even if the war was happening, everyone was happy. Pink and orange were staple colors in the 1970s: the colors of clothing, movie posters, record covers, and storefronts.

 

In her words: "When I'm drawing my maps it takes a long time, but it's kind of a meditation and I don't want it to end. It's a way to stay in my childhood. I'm trying to say goodbye to Beirut, but it doesn't work."