Hadith: Conversations

Hadith: Conversation - Hadith [ Etymology: Arabic Hadith a narrative record of the sayings of Muhammed]; Conversational - Hadithi; Converse - Dod; To converse with - Hadith; to happen, take place, occur - Hadath; to be new recent or novel - Haddath; to narrate, tell - Haddith; event, incident - Hadith; to talk about, speak of -Tahaddath; to talk together, converse - Tahadoth; Novelty, innovation - Hadathon; Misfortunes of life - Hedthan; Newness, recency; novelty - Hadatha; Happening, occurence, taking place - Hadouth; New, rececnt, novel - Hadith; Conversation - Mehadatha; Talk, rumour - Ishaa; Narrative, story - Hikaya; Young, juvenile - Alsin; Town-talk - Alkawn; stuff and nonesense - Khoura; light conversation - Sair;

installation views gallery Sfeir-Semler, Beirut

Hadith is the Arabic translation of Conversation. But it carries many other meanings, such as: talking, conversing, rumor, new, recent and novel. The etymology of the word dates back to the sayings of the prophet Muhammad. The idea for this show is also inspired by a specific cultural tradition in the Arab world, where art is based, since centuries, on words, on storytelling and not on pictorial figurative images.
Following this approach, we invited western and middle eastern artists who use words in their conceptual work and create art pieces as story tellings. They all do work in very different styles and mediums (installation, video, sculpture, photography, light and painting).
We would like to thank all artists who are taking part in this exhibition for accepting our invitation to Beirut.
All participants are worldwide important artists:

Robert Barry
Daniele Buetti
Sophie Calle
Bert De Beul
Philip-Lorca DiCorcia
Mona Hatoum
William Kentridge
Rabih Mroué
Moataz Nasereldin

Robert Barry