Zalfa Halabi Art Gallery is proud to present *Suspended (معلّق),* a minimalist and conceptual installation that invites viewers to reflect on themes of absence, suspension, and the interconnectedness of work, art, and life. This exhibition responds to the intensified events of the past months in Lebanon, offering a space for contemplation rather than resolution.

The Arabic title, *معلّق,* translates literally to 'hanging' or 'on pause.' It holds deep significance in the collective experience of Lebanon, where *ta'leek* has become an all-too-familiar term in recent times, frequently heard in news reports announcing the suspension of schools, workplaces, and daily activities. This state of suspension inspired much of the concept behind the installation, mirroring the uncertainty and stillness that continues to permeate cultural and social life.

The installation features a series of suspended and scattered frames, all sourced from Imad Abu Rizk, the owner of Coin D’Art, a family-run framing business. The frames, originally intended to be recycled, symbolize the interconnected network of professions impacted by this state of suspension. As a gallerist, my work is deeply tied to framers like Imad, to artists, and to all those who contribute to the art ecosystem. When one part of this network is paused, the ripple effects are felt throughout the entire community.

Displayed as a vitrine-style installation, *Suspended* transforms the gallery into a stage of suspended frames—some hanging delicately in mid-air, others scattered on the ground—evoking a powerful sense of tension, fragility, and movement. By prohibiting physical entry, the installation underscores the boundaries between presence and absence, inviting viewers to confront the space and its contents from a distance.

Through this act of confronting emptiness, *Suspended* does not just ask viewers to look at the frames but also to look beyond them—to imagine, to interpret, and to find meaning in what is left unsaid.

Zalfa Halabi Art Gallery invites audiences to experience *Suspended (معلّق)* as both a visual and conceptual intervention—a reminder that art, even when paused, can challenge, inspire, and provoke thought.

For the fall season of 2024, the gallery hosted a vibrant collective exhibition showcasing over 40 artworks from a selection of artists who have collaborated with us over the past three years. This collection featured a variety of mediums, including photography, works on paper, sketches, paintings in both oil and acrylic, and a selection of small sculptures. Designed with inclusivity in mind, the artworks were primarily small in format and accessibly priced, inviting a wider audience to engage with and collect art.

The exhibition served as a spontaneous, theme-free gathering, created to keep the gallery space alive with artistic energy. It became an expression of the diversity that defines our creative network, bringing together artists from different backgrounds and nationalities—Italian, Armenian, Lebanese, Ghanaian, Syrian, and more.

Notably, the exhibition introduced a striking new artwork from a Ghanaian artist who works with thread as a primary medium, creating paintings with intricate threadwork. This piece marked the artist’s debut in the gallery and added an exciting new dimension to the collection. Through this exhibition, the gallery celebrated the rich, multicultural spirit that continues to shape its evolving story.

Featuring a collection of over ten paintings created between 2022 and 2024, A Curious Case explores the talents of Syrian artist Nouman Issa. Currently based in Beirut, Issa was born in Damascus in 1972, he studied and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Damascus University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 2001 with a  bachelor’s degree in painting. Nouman’s work is particularly fascinating because of how much the artist’s work has evolved within the same medium. The use of color and even brush strokes evoke an element of storytelling that allows the viewer to not only to look but also “read'' into the subject matter. While it may be difficult to pinpoint the ‘where’ and ‘when’ of the falling figures, familiar everyday objects such as flashlights, staircases, and dogs, render the work relatable on a human and existential level.

While the artist’s preferred medium is acrylic, a few of the selected works are done in oil but all of them have one thing in common and that is the search for answers. Flashlights try to find an answer to philosophical questions about life and mankind's existence and its struggle to overcome obstacles and challenges presented by life and represented by a recurring staircase. The staircase poses difficulty and offers us a path towards the answers humans look for. A path that is capable of tripping us up and sending us falling back to the start, only for us to repeat the process all over again.