“New images of the Middle East/ images of the New Middle East” is a commission by international artist and composer Guy Manoukian for a concert in Beiteddine, Lebanon. The concert took place on August 8th, 2009 at the palace with over 4000 attendees and an orchestra of over 85 musicians including the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Beiteddine Festival is one of the oldest and finest festivals in the Middle East and is held in a 200-year-old palace in Beiteddine, built by emir Bashir Shihab in a little town 45 kilometers south-east of Beirut. Over the years the beiteddine festival has hosted international artists such as Liza Minelli, Elton John, Charles Aznavour and others.
The project is to create visuals, edited footage, and algorithmic animations to respond to the music of Guy Manoukian. His music represents fusion of eastern and western instruments, traditional and electronic, seeking to modernize sounds of the Middle East.
The project is done in collaboration with Daniel Hai, and Cem Adiyaman. Thanks Meiver De La Cruz.
Images here
Some samples of visuals below:
The way we were
The way we were from ayah bdeir on Vimeo.
Noritz
Noritz from ayah bdeir on Vimeo.
Portraits
Portraits from ayah bdeir on Vimeo.
