Nicolas Sursock Museum — Attraction in Rmeil

A beautifully presented medium sized private museum, formerly the private residence of magnate Nicholas Sursock.

A pleasant, clean and spacious forecourt is the perfect preliminary to this institution - if only the National Museum had one of these! - and the calm lobby area is easy to navigate. Help in English was provided by a smartly dressed young woman who spoke quickly - too quickly in fact - so evident was her pride in her ability.

On the top floor we saw a well-presented exhibit from the private collection that was immensely interesting and well curated. I would, however, encourage the curation team to go easy on the analytical art-talk on the introduction caption boards as it definitely crossed over into outright pretension on many occasions. Wall caption vinyls were also, in certain cases, very badly applied.

Despite this disappointment - curation makes the context and hence binds the show - we left informed, educated and entertained.

I dock a star from this review as the staff in the cafe were too busy fawning over tables of wealthy customers to serve us. While their nannies were keeping the kids entertained in the forecourt, and the drivers kept the XXL SUVs warm outside on the street, we went hungry and thirsty; staff would not even respond to vigorous arm waving!

Conclusion: good gallery, avoid for...

Sursock is a free and amazing contemporary art museum in Beirut central area with a permanent exhibition that is often paired with other temporary exhibitions. The museum presents an interesting perspective on Arabic art, showing the richness of Arabic artists work and its relationship with the political context on which is embedded. The high point for me is the way the museum makes you reflect on the colonial approach of the so called western art and art critics towards the east, and how Arabic art has dealt with this place of the other to the west as a place of resistance and agency.

When I visited the Museum (sep/2019) the temporary exhibition was about the city of Balbeque. A really interesting exhibition on the way Balbeque has become a place of a cultural dispute by different actors...

The Nicholas Sirsouk Museum itself is a masterpiece, with its unique architecture and thoughtfully curated exhibitions. However, I found the enthusiasm of the staff lacking when it came to explaining the art pieces and displays. Their knowledge seemed minimal, even regarding the history of the museum itself. It would greatly benefit from having audio explanations for the art pieces, as the descriptions were often small and visitors were not allowed to get close to the pieces.

Furthermore, some staff members appeared disinterested and were not as welcoming as expected. Despite these shortcomings, the museum is definitely worth a visit for its stunning architecture and well-curated exhibitions. I just wished for more informative and engaging interactions...