On the early morning of February 2, protesters prepared for what they call “Lebanese Creativity Day.” Artists from all over Lebanon congregated in Martyr’s Square to materialize and exhibit their creative expressions of the Revolution.
The project has over 200 artists, including painters and sculptors.
The artists created their works of art that celebrate the culture and heritage of Lebanon. Some of the paintings were of Lebanese villages overlayed with a red line symbolizing that Lebanon is a “red line” that can’t be crossed.
There was also a sculpture at the scene made out of wood sourced from olive trees, and that symbolizes the bride of the revolution, a title bestowed on Tripoli during the revolution.
The importance of this art event is that it represents the culture of the Lebanese with a focus on the revolution and the people’s dreams and demands. As one protester said to LBC, “Art is the revolution, art is the people.”
“You will sometimes see us in the streets. You will sometimes see us protesting. You will sometimes see us closing the roads because we have to. And today, you are seeing our culture, our heritage, and our identity,” another protester said.
Besides painting and sculpting, the activity featured a musical presentation with musical groups performing a wide variety of genres, such as traditional music and even rap.
Lebanese are known to be highly creative and the revolution has further revealed, in many instances, the artistic side of our culture.
There have been numerous artistic activities during this revolution, from painting and music to graffiti and videos, and the list goes on.
During the beginning of the revolution, the protests had taken a celebratory character to express their revolt and also their unity with activities that celebrated Lebanon’s joyful nature.
Most notably, in Tripoli and in Beirut, there were DJs who blasted a variety of songs through the speakers and produced unique mixes, every night. And there have been also dabkeh in many protest gatherings.
Numerous walls across Lebanon have been painted with beautiful expressions of the revolution; the dreams it carries, the passion that fuels it, the various statements it makes, and the hopes of a nation that refuses to yield and die.
Now, the artists of the revolution have gathered in one site, the main site of this revolution, to bring out their best artistic expressions of a Revolution which stubbornness to survive matches that of the Cedars of our Land.
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