São Paulo – Photographs of the Amazon rainforest taken by Lebanon’s Jacques Menassa comprise the show Saudade da Minha Amazônia (Longing for My Amazon), set to open on the 29th this month at the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Centre, in Beirut.
The exhibit will feature approximately 30 photographs taken during the 1990s, while Menassa was living in Brazil. The photographer has relatives in Brazil’s Amazonas state, and took part in several expeditions to the rainforest while living in the country.
“I interacted with Indians and forest dwellers and I saw many beautiful things. It was a great experience,” he says. “The pictures feature vivid colours and the unique shapes of the region. I had a great experience with a nature that is unlike ours (in Lebanon). It is a different world, with different customs, things that do not exist in my own country,” he says.
Menassa is 57 and holds degrees in Political Science and Business Administration. A photography aficionado, he studied the technique at Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik. In Manaus, he attended photography workshops at Centro de Artes Chaminé and featured in several exhibits.
“I am showcasing photographs that have marked my life. Each picture is part of a good memory,” says Menassa regarding the new show.
Interested in the forest
Samia Yakzan, director of the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Centre, explains that the exhibit has captured the attention of Lebanese people even before opening. “We have been getting a lot of calls. They want to know who the photographer is, they want to see the pictures, to experience Amazon,” she says.
According to her, the forest piques the interests of everyone due to its importance to our planet. “His work (Menassa’s) is flawless. He has lived in close connection with the Amazon,” the director says.
On the opening day, at 8:00 pm, there will be a cocktail party and a piano concert featuring Brazilian music. The exhibit will remain open until June 27th.
Service
Exhibit Saudade da Minha Amazônia (Longing for my Amazon)
Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Centre
Opening: May 29 at 8:00 pm
Visiting until June 27th, Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Address: Mar Mitr street, Trad building, 176 Achrafieh – Beirut
Admittance is free
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum