Visual Dialogues 2013: Waiting for the Barbarians by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige

Watch the full artwork

24.04.2020

Starting with the poem Waiting for the Barbarians, as part of "I stared at beauty so much...", we explore panoramic images of Beirut shifting from mobile to immobile, from the general to the constantly dug out detail that opens onto the world.

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Cavafy, a voice from the past projected into the future, into our arrested present, similar to the images we’re producing, in which the city exhibits itself and where the expectation, the suspension are deeply felt, as before, before the barbarians arrive but will they ever? And suddenly, the appearance of beauty, incongruous.

This artwork was presented on 07.11.2013-07.01.2014 at Onassis Stegi, as part of Visual Dialogues 2013 “C. P. Cavafy at the Plato’s Academy Leisure Park”.

Credits

Waiting for the Barbarians, 2013 by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige

Animated photography, sound, multiples sources, video HD format

Duration: 4m 26 seconds, loop

Commissioned by the Onassis Cultural Center Athens for the Visual Dialogues 2013

Inspired by the poem of Cavafy: Waiting for the Barbarians

Voice over: Bernard Khoury

Sound design: Rana EidStudio DB

Photo and video: Khalil Joreige & Joana Hadjithomas

Photo-composing: Alexis Gaillard

Animation: Noel PaulStudio Rez VisualBelal Hibri

Sound: Karine Basha