The Colours of 2019

Sharbel Karam

Sharbel starts with himself at the bottom of the poster that is done without colour to illustrate how he previously did not have strong preferences. He recalls how he studied architecture but had no preferred architect. Sharbel recounts through his poster how he became engaged in the protests in Jbeil and participated with others in reclaiming public space in the city that had been privatized. He details how he was active on social media and expressing his opinions that resulted in conflicts with family members but gave him hope that the country was really changing through this protest movement. The protests would eventually dissipate and the change that protesters hoped for did not materialize. Sharbel details that while the country went back to the period before the protests began (back to “normal”) he was changed by the protest: “Now there are colours, I started expressing points of view. This is what changed for me after the protests of 2019.”

1
Watan, written in Arabic, translates as "nation" is placed to show where the protesters wanted to take Lebanon. A Lebanon that on the right is full of colour, blue skies and is vibrant. But Sharbel laments that this was not a destination that the protests were able to take the nation to and instead the country returned to its previous state.
2
Sharbel details his engagement with the protests. His participation in the lectures at the Egg and other public spaces, and the sit in in Byblos (Jbeil).