Comprising thousands of objects dating from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and inherited from Maison Tarazi, founded in 1862, this in situ installation delves into the dynamics of memory and identity, whether individual or collective. In the absence of a dedicated museum, it underscores the urgent need for institutional recognition of this fragile heritage, born from the region’s artisanal traditions and decorative arts.  

This immersive installation marks a symbolic first pathway between reality and imagination, embodying the four themes of the exhibition. It raises questions about the interplay of memory, realities and fictions, the perception of time and space, and a geography rooted in the region. Between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary gestures, Alfred Tarazi invites us to wander through objects linked to the imaginary of Orientalism and the history of his family of artisans and merchants, the Tarazis.

Axonometric Plan

Installation Plan

Decorative, touristic, and now memorial objects, they evoke narratives and memories that transcend their physical presence; a legacy salvaged from the Lebanese Civil War. These oriental items — Damascene doors, soap boxes, lamps, stirrups, woodwork, reproductions of archaeological objects, and trinkets — are presented as a library of oriental articles, detached from their historical and commercial context.

For the artist, each door embodies a symbolic portal into the past, where personal and collective memories unfold. At the centre, a rotunda honours Renata Ortali, the artist’s mother and an archaeologist closely associated with Emir Maurice Chehab. An empty chair placed within a triangle of vertical woodwork represents the figure of his father, Georges Tarazi, a craftsman who worked for the family business until 1987.

Hymn to Love pays homage to the love of the arts, craftsmanship, objects, and materials, conveying a narrative of transmission and preservation. Tarazi, a craftsman who worked for the family business until 1987. Hymn to Love pays homage to the love of the arts, craftsmanship, objects, and materials, conveying a narrative of transmission and preservation.