Allegorical Ruins

A journey through time and memory by Lebanese artist Raed Yassin running from May 7th to June 27th, 2024. Drawing inspiration from the profound words of French theorist Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida (1980), Yassin invites viewers to ponder the haunting essence of photography and the spectral presence that permeates his work. At the heart of Yassin's exploration lies his project The Company of Silver Spectres (2021-ongoing), where he breathes new life into discarded black and white photographs, transforming them into vibrant canvases that blur the boundaries between past and present. Through a delicate interplay of spray-painted monochromatic hues, Yassin conjures ghosts of bygone eras, prompting reflection on themes of loss, remembrance, and the passage of time. Delving deeper into the artist's personal narrative, Allegorical Ruins unveils Yassin's poignant reflections on Beirut's tumultuous history. From the ravages of the Civil War to the recent port explosion of 2020, Yassin's assemblage of vintage letters from Beirut's fading shop signs serves as a poignant reminder of the city's enduring spirit amidst adversity. Yet, through the pervasive themes of loss and ruin, a glimmer of hope emerges in Yassin's work, Mirage(2024), where the artist, defying geo-political odds, offers a subtle yet powerful beacon of possibility amidst uncertainty. The allegorical ruins of memory, where the past converges with the present, and the spectral whispers of the unseen echo through the halls of time is Raed Yassin’s second exhibition at Gallery Isabelle.