The absurdity of war and its ethical echoes in AI

DOHA: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art houses what could be described as an unlikely find for the Qatar-based institution.

“Le Barde Noir” — “The Black Bard” — is an oil-on-canvas painting by Jean-Leon Gerome, a French painter and sculptor who lived from 1824-1904. Created in 1888, it is as instantly captivating as it must have been when first created.

It features a character often said to be a Nubian musician, wrapped in pink fabric and sitting on a carpet as he stares out intensely. Behind him is an intricately tiled wall in blue hues, while his yellow shoes — similar to North African babouches — are placed neatly to one side.

The work, arguably one of Gerome’s most mesmerizing, bears many hallmarks of the Orientalist style pioneered by European artists in the 18th and 19th centuries that often featured imagined images of the eastern world.  

The concept is explored, pondered and contested in “Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gerome.” The exhibition, which runs at the museum until Feb. 22, sheds light on the artist’s legacy — how his art has both positively and adversely influenced depictions of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia region and continues to do so today.

Gerome was one of the most commercially successful European artists of the 19th century. At the time, he was celebrated as a visual storyteller and historian who brought the faraway lands of Greece, Rome and the East to life through his work.

Ultimately, it would be the artist’s representations of North Africa and the wider Arab world that would constitute his legacy. From 1855 to 1880 he travelled to Egypt, Turkey and other areas to create some of Orientalism’s most poignant and memorable representations.

The show includes almost 400 works of art, many drawn from the forthcoming Lusail Museum’s impressive collection of Orientalist art, including European depictions of the Arab world dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. It also includes major loans from Qatar Museums’ General Collections and institutions worldwide such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia.

The exhibition has been organized as a legacy of the Qatar–France 2020 Year of Culture, a year-long program of collaborations between institutions across both countries. It is jointly produced by the Lusail Museum, which is set to open in 2029, and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, both in Doha.

It takes an in-depth look at Gerome’s practice and oeuvre through three sections. The first, “A Wider Lens, A New Gerome,” is curated by Emily Weeks and presents some of the artist’s most prominent paintings. “Between Gerome and Photography: Truth is Stranger than Fiction” is curated by Giles Hudson, curator of photographs at the Lusail Museum, and highlights his influence on photography of the Arab world. The final section, “I Swear I Saw That,” is curated by Sara Raza and explores Gerome’s impact on contemporary art.

The third section includes specially commissioned works by artists such as Babi Badalov from Azerbaijan and Nadia Kaabi-Linke from Tunisia, who reinterpret Gerome for the 21st century.

Guest curator Raza told Arab News that the opportunity was a chance “to reassess Gerome’s art within the context of the problems of the larger Orientalist genre and its continuation and manifestation in art and society.”

She said none of the artists in her section were interested in Gerome and added: “However, what they were interested in exploring was Orientalism’s continuation through their own visual languages and the ideas of free appropriation.”

RIYADH: Lebanon’s economy is expected to start recovering this year following a 10 percent contraction in 2024, as the country returns to fully functioning institutions, according to Moody’s. 

On Jan. 9, the country elected former army commander Joseph Aoun as president, and followed that by appointing Nawaf Salam, chief of the International Court of Justice, as prime minister on Jan. 13. 

Aoun’s election ended a leadership void that had persisted since the previous president’s term expired in October 2022. 

“We estimate an economic contraction of 10 percent in 2024 because of the conflict but expect economic activity to start recovering later this year – assuming a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Moody’s said in a commentary. 

The Middle Eastern country’s return to fully functioning institutions will boost the continued enforcement of the ceasefire with Israel, supported by the monitoring role of the US, France and the UNIFIL, the agency added. 

Lebanon’s recovery requires substantial international support, a fact underscored by an international donor conference held in Paris in October. The conference raised $1 billion in pledges, with $800 million allocated for humanitarian assistance and $200 million earmarked for military support. 

These funds are expected to address the immediate needs of over 1.3 million people displaced during the September-November conflict, as well as the $8.5 billion in economic losses incurred, including $3.4 billion in physical damage to infrastructure, as reported by the World Bank. 

While these pledges offer a lifeline, the disbursement of funds will likely be contingent on the government’s adherence to reform commitments under a forthcoming International Monetary Fund program, Moody’s noted. 

These reforms include comprehensive debt restructuring for the government, the central bank, and commercial banks, aimed at ensuring long-term economic recovery and sustainability. 

“Lebanon’s current C rating reflects our expectation that holders of Lebanese eurobonds will recover less than 35 percent of par following the eventual eurobond restructuring,” the agency added. 
 
According to Moody’s, fiscal and investment activity has been sharply curtailed, undermining long-term growth prospects and the provision of public services. 

Tourism and remittances from Lebanon’s diaspora continue to serve as vital sources of foreign exchange, but they are insufficient to address the structural imbalances in the economy. 

Public debt, estimated at 150 percent of the gross domestic product by the end of 2024, remains one of the highest globally, presenting a formidable challenge to fiscal sustainability, noted Moody’s. 

Aoun’s election has been welcomed by international observers as a turning point for Lebanon, which has been mired in political paralysis, economic collapse, and the aftermath of recent conflicts. 

The new president will lead efforts to form a fully empowered government, replacing the current caretaker administration led by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati “that has been operating with limited powers.” 

Aoun’s leadership of the Lebanese Armed Forces was instrumental in enforcing the November ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, according to Moody’s. 

The ceasefire has been critical in creating a stable environment for Lebanon’s recovery. Observers note that the role of the armed forces in securing the truce reflects Aoun’s ability to command respect and cooperation from various stakeholders, a quality deemed vital for navigating Lebanon’s complex political landscape.