THE PROJECTS

Full of ambition, passion, and a hopeful perspective regarding the future, this group of creative minds – university students from various institutions in the country – see a different Lebanon and have translated into their artworks.

This competition was an opportunity to express our ideas and translate “Keep Walking Lebanon” in our own architectural words. As architects, we tend to communicate our emotions through space. Consequently, we naturally thought of a spatial installation that involves the participation of the viewer who becomes part of it. The big challenge for us would be to keep the initial spark that guided us through the creative process. - Lea Ramadan

Johnnie Walker’s competition was all about ambition, enthusiasm, and the urge to create. As an interior designer, interpreting Keep Walking Lebanon was a joyful challenge. It was an outstanding opportunity given for us, young designers, to express ourselves through art; and what’s even better than creating, is our generation creating for our country’s sake. - Sana Rizk

THE WALKTHROUGH By Alexis El Haiby & Lea Ramadan

The Walkthrough is an installation that explores a different perception of an obstacle and how it can be overcome by moving forward. It is an illusion that allows guests to “walk through” what seemed to be blocking their way.

THE DOMINO EFFECT By Sana Rizk

The domino effect is an installation of dominoes showing successful Lebanese women who were pioneers in their fields, and built a firm foundation for others to follow. The path of dominoes shows a chain reaction where one woman’s success pushes the others.

This competition was a chance for students to be heard through art and creativity, and not through words. It was unique opportunity to step out of the box and to be loud for a subject that is often undervalued. - Carole El Danaf

This exhibition is a unique experience and a great opportunity for me. It offered me a platform, not only to send a message, but also to influence and make a concrete impact. It gave me the ability to transform my idea from an abstract to a reality. - Lea Ramadan

WALL TO BRIDGE By Carole el Danaf

Walls are used to stop people from connecting with each other; they create sterile societies. We need more of a ‘bridge-down’ culture in today’s world, as only through connection and exchange can we truly move forward. This installation requires people coming together to transform the walls into a connecting bridge.

DES (CONS) TRUCT By Sarah Abou Rahal

“It is you and I who shape the future of this country, our home. As long as garbage still resides on our streets, mountains and shores, we ought to shift our perspective and turn into a source of creation.” This is an art installation depicting the journey people would need to take to better their environment and their personal conditions.

As long as you believe in your creativity, no one and no major can stop your productivity. Research and hard work are your only weapons. - Eva Rahme and Aline Rezian Johnnie Walker’s competition offered us an easy road to success and allowed us to surpass ourselves. In addition to have our project featured in an exhibition, we gained knowledge, self confidence, and memorable moments. - Diala El Ghoche This campaign is a window for us to discover a new world of imagination with the opportunity to unleash our inner artist to the world. - Patrick Hajj

THE RECHARGEABLE SHOE By Aline Rezian & Eva Rahme

A pair of shoes that generates power with every step. It is designed to show how each step we take can generate the energy we need.

REFASHIONING By Nada Tonnelier & Diala El Ghoche

Fashion should not be synonymous with waste. Through a sustainable approach we can raise awareness on the need to re-shape and re-think how we understand the fashion industry. Re-fashioning provides new, eco-friendly purposes to old clothes.

RESILIENCE THROUGH DABKEH By Patrick Hajj

“We struggle every day, and we fall every once in a while, but it is with great resilience, strength and unity that we all stand tall and dance together with our heads held high.” A film depicting the everyday struggles and the support that defies it.

You cannot create experience you must undergo it. Our journey with “Keep Walking Lebanon” helped us improve ourselves on several levels. This competition was a big Challenge in parallel with our studies. It made us more persistent to pressure, and more confident with our abilities. - Nour Asmar

Being part of the “Keep Walking Lebanon” campaign and translating its mantra through our art is a great opportunity for us, students, to discover and improve ourselves as artists. It allowed us to break boundaries and dream big. - Yasmine Saad

THE SURVIVAL KIT By Tala Fakhoury & Nour Asmar

Lebanon offers its people an abundance of natural beauty to explore, yet it doesn’t enjoy a true hiking culture. This multi-purpose, versatile jacket becomes a tool for outdoor enjoyment as well as a survival kit for the Lebanese walkers.

ROUTE 961 By Yasmine Saad & Lama Salame

This project is a fight against the oppressive dayto-day aspect of the country, showing the reality that each and every one of us lives in and finding a way to fight it. This immersive installation takes you through your journey encompassing your fights, your hopes, your new horizons. “You’re going to enter an installation that will tell your story, our story. You grew up seeing your country as the nicest country in the world. You grew up and this sweet paradise wasn’t as sweet after all. Your daily life was filled with corruption and negative news that became a routine. You wanted to leave but something held you back. Your family. Your roots. Your origins. You decided to see the opportunities. You decided to seize them. You decided to see beyond the atrocities and push forward. You decided to see this light of hope. You decided to walk through it.”

For me, progress is never giving up. It’s always trying something new. Creative minds shouldn’t be forced to leave their country in order to find a job. - Perla Khairallah

What I love most about this project is the fact that it extends beyond the competition and into people’s life. The message behind the “Keep Walking Lebanon” mantra allowed me to understand my project differently and to think about it on a more humanitarian level, hoping to impact every Lebanese life. - Zelfa Louise Abou Charaf

We think Lebanon has potential to be a better place for the future generations. The Keep Walking Lebanon campaign has given us the opportunity to do so. In fact, we perceive Keep Walking Lebanon, in our field of work, as an open urban space that needs to be developed for the youth, the elderly and the ecosystem, combining us humans with biodiversity. So we decided to take our project on the regional level in order to expose the full potential of such a small country that can be of greater use for our future generations. - Carl Salwan

I AM PHILLIPE BUSTROS By Perla Khairallah

A short film about a man alone in a house who’s trying to bring back his long lost family. He will be stopped by everything and everyone, yet he is relentless and will keep on changing what he believes will unchain him from all his struggles and reunite him with his loved ones.

UNBREAKABLE THREAD By Zalfa Louise Abou Charaf

This short film shows how Lebanon is walking forward slowly and will always keep walking, despite all the problems and difficulties. It also emphasizes that if all the Lebanese people stayed to create a better future here, the walk would be stronger.

THE URBAN COURTYARD By Jad Salwan & Carl Salwan

This project reimagines Lebanon as a vast urban jungle, where in landscape elements unite to create a peaceful coexistence with the ecosystem and the biodiversity of the country.

This competition is a really great opportunity for us to showcase our work in front of well known judges and to prove to the Lebanese people and media that Lebanon can be seen in a different perspective. - Grace Abi Jaoude

This competition has already given us what we wanted. We wanted a chance to be heard and to show what we can achieve. Beyond that, working on it as a group has given us a taste of experience in a field we are much interested in. In other words, we devoured each and every moment. - Charbel Corbani

POINT DE FUITE By Grace Abi Jaoude, Karen Helou & Cindy El Hokayem

On the coastal line in the city of Dora, a famous garbage mountain and a fisherman harbor happily coexist. This misused place, filled with factories and gas barrels is the focus of this project. The installation is a path that leads into that deserted area, attempting to change perceptions of the daily Lebanese struggles. The path acts as a bridge, not just physically but also metaphorically, where passersby can experience their country from all perspectives. A pure representation of our real problems and how we can manage to walk through all of them on a daily basis.

GÉNÉRATION POUBELLE By Kay Bardawil, Michelle-tea Norezian, Charbel Corbani, Nahi el Khoury, Charbel Abou Chacra

This project sheds light on what the Beirut riverfront might look like if we keep it protected and allow it to flourish at the service of its country’s people. “If anything represents the continuity and resilience of our people, it would be the Beirut River. The poetry inside this wounded landmark that still keeps its course with all the sewers dumping their waters in it. We are focusing on this aspect of moving along, accepting our fate but at the same time making use of it. We call ourselves “génération poubelle” because that is what we had to start with. The ones before us had their wars, and our share was the aftertaste. The confusion, the unplanned for, the results. They gave us pollution and we moved along with it. We used it. We worked on keeping the river identity or maybe even reviving it. By keeping the water inside a sealed tube inside the natural landscape of the river, we gained space in an overly dense area, and opening this space for public use would be just what the city needs. An interstitial space where people could go down, and actually have a walk in an open public space in the middle of all the chaos around. But our point remains in emphasizing our idea on the importance of this river, In preserving what we have even if it is not much that we can change. The tube containing the river is held up on a metal structure and this structure Actually gives the park its shape. The water keeps flowing through the tube, And the tube keeps shaping the park. The perfect blend of old and new. And maybe that’s what KEEP WALKING is all about.”