AUB 50th Architecture Anniversary Exhibition Co-Curation / Commissioned by The Department of Architecture and Design, AUB / Beirut, Lebanon / 2018
The Architecture 50th Anniversary exhibition at the Department of Architecture and Design (ArD) at AUB is “about the alumni by the alumni.” We conceived of the exhibition as a celebration of the work of 132 people who responded to an email we sent on February 20, 2018 inviting them to feature their post-graduation work. The call did not restrict the type of contributions to architecture or ancillary fields of the built environment. The content we received, as well as the way alumni defined themselves across and in-between disciplines, shaped the curation of the exhibition. We collected over 240 projects: from buildings that tackle the increasing complexity of typologies whether domestic, public, governmental, or industrial to urban master plans in the Arab world and beyond; interiors to everyday objects; as well as art pieces that uncover hidden stories from Beirut to choreographed performances at international theaters. A few alumni also shared publications on urban studies, anthropology, history, geography, and philosophy. This diversity of projects reflects how professional aspirations of alumni developed over time, and how they position architecture at the core of the design and non-design fields It demonstrates how they were able to successfully push the boundaries of an architecture education to expand its impact or to incorporate other fields and ultimately become hybrid professionals.
The section of the exhibition on post-graduation work is organized in a manner that demonstrates the fluidity of the various alumni practices. To do this, a coding system of five keywords is used to suggest an umbrella of fields: Architecture, Urbanisms, Humanities, Arts, and Products. The coding is also integral to reading alumni work at the intersection of the five keywords; it further displays an interdisciplinary approach to practice.
* Exhibition Design by Ghaith+Jad Architects, Branding and Graphic Catalog design by Kite and Ahmad Gharbieh
