In the Bab el-Tabbaneh district of Tripoli, one of the poorest in the city, the artist Jo Ber rises in a basket five meters high. “Welcome on board“, he says. Around him, there are only large unsanitary buildings, where hundreds of families are piled up. Jo Ber is French, he has a can of paint in his hand which he waves , and he is creating a 200 square meter fresco on the facade of a building. work of the day is inspired by Lebanese antiquity.
>> In Lebanon, a giant graffiti on the roofs of Tripoli to pacify the neighborhoods
“He is a Phoenician holding a cedar from Lebanon. There will be animals, houses. For the colors, we are on a rather turquoise sky, ocher, brown, yellow tones, quite bright“, describes the artist. Jo Ber is not alone in creating his works. At his side, there are two other French and three Lebanese artists, brought together by the Artivista association. It promotes street-art through the world, especially in underprivileged neighborhoods like this one.
To through these works street, the association also intends to restore the image of cities like Tripoli. In Lebanon, the neighborhood Bab el-Tabbaneh is best known for his sordid news stories and shootings. “In the neighborhood, there have been many assassinations, stories of migrants who take to the sea and drown, and we have lived through many wars“, says Mohammad Abrash, a local graffiti artist, born in Tripoli and proud to welcome his artist friends to his home.
“The inhabitants and their children live in misery and violence. So it’s great that they can see something else: something beautiful!”
Mohammad Abrashat franceinfo
A project that is good for the artists, but also for the inhabitants. “I am conquered!launches Esra, mother and resident of one of the buildings on which a fresco is in progress. Look out the window how pretty it is. People think it’s a war zone here, but great things are happening too! Their project is great, I wish them good luck“, she continues with enthusiasm.
Like Esra, other residents hope that new artistic initiatives will see the light of day near their homes and will finally give another image of the inhabitants of their neighborhood, far from the clichés.