AGENDA

On the centenary of the birth of the literary luminary Italo Calvino, Galerie Tanit invites you to embark on a captivating journey through the enigmatic realms of the author’s Invisible Cities. Antonello Ghezzi presents Cosa non è Inferno, an immersive artistic endeavour deeply rooted in the heart of Beirut, a city that embodies both the heavenly and infernal. This project unfolds in two distinct phases, seamlessly blending the urban fabric of Beirut city with the contemplative atmosphere of the gallery space.

In the bustling metropolis of Beirut, the city itself becomes a canvas adorned with towering billboards bearing a profound question: "What is not hell?" This poignant inquiry, drawn from Calvino's masterpiece The Invisible Cities, resonates with timeless relevance. As the book's protagonist, Marco Polo, converses with Emperor Kublai Khan, the lines blur between the infernal and the everyday. It is within this inferno that we find ourselves, crafting our reality through shared existence.

These billboards, standing amidst Beirut's skyscrapers, offer a chorus of voices, echoing the city's kaleidoscope of sounds—cars, construction, muezzins, bells, and human expressions. Beirut, a city of diversity and duality, embodies both Heaven and Hell, just as Calvino's invisible cities transcend boundaries and dimensions.

At Galerie Tanit, Antonello Ghezzi's reflections manifest as visual wonders. Like Perseus' mirrored shield, Calvino's literature shields us from the direct gaze of Medusa, guiding us toward a new perspective on reality. The exhibited works, crafted with the grace that characterizes Antonello Ghezzi's oeuvre, beckon us to ponder, to engage, and to soar with the weightless spirit of inquiry.