São Paulo – From the small city of Fakiha, in northeast Lebanon, the Minas Gerais state-based photographer Gui Mohallem has brought images, objects, videos and sounds that marked his first trip to his parents’ homeland. The memorabilia is on display in the art show Tcharafna, running until July 18th at São Paulo’s Galeria Emma Thomas.
Instrumental music and the voice of an Arabic-speaking set the tone for the show, which includes photos and videos of landscapes, objects, and people that Mohallem met during his six-week stint in Lebanon.
“I tried to create a conversation between videos, photographs and objects that would affect one another. I took several videos and photographs, and I collected archival pictures of my family. I wanted to hold a show in which these items conversed amongst themselves,” he says.
During the time he spent in Fakiha, the photographer met family members, tried the local cuisine, and had the opportunity to ponder on the meaning that immigration had to his father. The show’s name, for that matter, alludes to the artist’s becoming acquainted with his own origins. In Arabic, the word tcharafna means “Pleased to meet you.”
“I returned a very different man. I found out what my father let go of in order to be here, and that made a very strong impression on me,” he says. The photographer’s father, who is now 80, left Lebanon at age 19 for economic reasons and moved to Brazil with his brothers, who already lived in the country.
The main video in the show is five minutes long, and features one of the most important moments of the photographer’s visit to Lebanon. “It is a video of me meeting a 101-year-old aunt I didn’t even know existed. I spoke to her in Arabic. I learned Arabic so that I could get closer to the people there,” he says.
Mohallem says he took private Arabic lessons on a daily basis. “Learning a language means learning a way of thinking,” he says. The other videos portray scenes of daily life in the small city, with locals strolling about the streets, cleaning up their homes, and other commonplace events in Fakiha.
To the photographer, the show is a chance to share the experiences he had in his parents’ homeland with other Lebanese descendants. “I really wanted to converse with the Lebanese community and see what they identify with. The show is important so I get the chance to hear how this experience resonates with people who have had similar experiences, “he says.
Service
Tcharafna
Up until July 18 at Galeria Emma Thomas
Rua Estados Unidos, 2205 – São Paulo
Mondays to Fridays 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturdays from 11:00 am 5:00 pm
Admittance is free
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
