On a rooftop in Beirut, an exhibition of ‘micro-architectures’

For all its plain magnificence, devoted public areas are a rarity in Beirut; an final result of years of city neglect, financial strife and battle. Together with her newest set up work, Lebanese artist and designer Nathalie Harb is trying to revive this misplaced sense of connection via ‘Fake It’s a Pool’, an ensemble micro-architecture mission that has reworked the rooftop terrace of the Beirut Artwork Heart (BAC) into an area for folks, play and group (on view till 20 September 2025).

‘Fake it is a Pool’: Nathalie Harb at Beirut Artwork Heart

Nestled between the dry mattress of the Beirut River and the busy Armenian neighbourhood of Bourj Hammoud, the entire showcase sits above the hustle and bustle of town providing guests the possibility to decelerate, calm down, and re-imagine the chances of life.

‘I used to be all in favour of that area between the general public and the intimate,’ Harb instructed Wallpaper*. ‘The mission unfolds on this panoramic, uncovered setting – open like a worksite or a wasteland, filled with holes – the place creativeness can take root. Every micro-architecture gives a special view or sensation.’

‘From up there you will have a 360-degree view; the material of Beirut laying naked in entrance of you, in all its fragility,’ she continued. ‘It jogged my memory of the primary time I met Beirut after the [Lebanese Civil War], when rooftops grew to become locations for moments of affection, secrecy, and rewriting a brand new layer of tales; typically erotic, usually intimate.’

Initially impressed by the need to put in a public pool on the roof terrace of BAC, ‘Fake It’s a Pool’ sees Harb accomplice with fellow creatives Joseph Kai and Lea Kayrouz to construct an city oasis of momentary shelters, improvised tents, cushions and beds, the place each piece is a multifunctional, interactive set up. Vibrant textiles wrap the constructions and flutter within the heat summer season winds, that includes up-close drawings of eyes, shoulders and limbs, accompanied by fig bushes and herbaceous vegetation.

‘Joseph’s work usually strikes between the physique and town,’ defined Harb. ‘Sensuality and want are intrinsic to the city panorama, simply as town turns into a part of the physique. I invited him to deliver that sensibility right here. His drawings fold into the set up like a second pores and skin, infusing it with the type of closeness usually absent from public life.’

‘Lea is a long-time collaborator,’ she continued. ‘In ‘Fake It’s a Pool’, we share authorship. Her contribution right here targeted on the thought of ‘commoning’ via domesticity, figuring out the shared practices, instruments and concrete artefacts that spark creativeness and domesticate collective accountability.’

The eponymous ‘pool’ takes the type of a small, blue, round construction adorned with undulating waves, evoking nostalgic recollections of the Lebanese summer season; the bucket of water standing by for when the mains provide runs out; the bathtub for soaking in when the warmth climbs too excessive. Summary but acquainted, this central component – itself an imaginary substitute – is a catalyst for pleasure, play and pretending. Guests are additionally inspired to construct their very own improvised shelters and add to the mission, utilizing kits supplied by the organisers.

The positioning additionally capabilities as a hub for social activations, together with musical performances, and even a potluck dinner by which friends shared home-cooked meals with strangers, additional emphasising the communal spirit of ‘Fake It’s a Pool’.