“This Sea is Mine”, a project whose name sends a clear message; the sea is actually nobody’s property. Founded by a group of young Lebanese artists and architects aspiring to fix what they see as a damaged relationship between Beirut and its inhabitants, the project aims to study the city to further identify issues. The group studies and researches multiple parts of the city and its beaches to understand and identify the problems within the city’s fabric and how to fix them.
The project’s main outcome is a variety of events that are space specific; one day the group organizes rides on fishermen’s boats to explore the sea front of Beirut and see how different it looks from the other side of the tall buildings that stand on the shores, and on another day you see them creating interactive site-specific performances in spaces that they hand pick to fit the performers’ style and what they are presenting.
The initiative helps people realize that public space is their right and they should be open to discussing and demanding it, and with funding from AFAC, they were able to conduct their research, publication, and find spaces for their multiple performances and events.
For more information: Visit their website or follow them on Facebook, and check out AFAC‘s other inspiring regional projects.