by Mounira Al Soulh (Artist), J. Mohamed Issam El-Mortada (Foreword by), Nada Ghandour (Foreword by)
A monumental 41-piece installation examining an ancient myth through contemporary means
For the 60th Venice Biennale, the Lebanese Pavilion hosts Mounira Al Solh (born 1978), whose multimedia allegorical installations bridge myth and reality. A Dance with Her Myth revisits the legend of Zeus' abduction of the Phoenician princess Europa. Zeus took the form of a white bull in order to carry Europa away. In Al Solh's reappraisal, the myth sheds light on the issues and challenges currently facing women, using contemporary artistic and visual means. Ceramics, collages, textiles, drawings and wooden boats echo the imagery of ancient mythology, while also connecting Phoenician lore with contemporary Lebanese culture. The catalog includes extensive illustrations of the 41-piece installation, contextualized by the pavilion's curator, Nada Ghandour.