Noor Haydar

The Absent Present M

inus 1, Beirut , Lebanon 2016

‘The Absent Present’ a self curated exhibition which opened on May the 23rd 2016 as part of Beirut Design Week 2016.



Public spaces in have become estranged places, uncommon arenas where social behaviour is awkward and communal respect is deteriorating in Beirut.
I am exploring how the ‘woman’ in particular (in a group or as an individual) behaves and is treated on the only public beach in Beirut.
On the battle ground of Ramlet el Bayda, a symptom of gender turbulence mixed with curiosity, religious and traditional influences manifests itself between the grains of sand. The weapon is a smart phone camera. We found ourselves surrounded by around 50 men staring.
In this interactive video installation the viewer is both the receptor and the aggressor.