Artist Ramzi Mallat is behind the poignant exhibition.
Artist Ramzi Mallat is behind the poignant new exhibition Not Your Martyr. Running until 19 October, it’s on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, and is free to visit.
Not Your Martyr challenges how we remember events, especially particularly tragic ones. Ramzi has created a moving tribute to the victims of the Beirut Port explosion, which occurred on 4 August 2020. Following the event, 218 people were confirmed dead from the explosion, and 7,000 people were injured. This year marks five years since the devastating blast, and the exhibition seeks to transform grief into art and remembrance.
The installation not only honours those lost in the explosion, but also reflects on the Lebanese Civil War, which began 50 years ago this year. Visitors are invited to pause and reflect on the enduring power of everyday beauty and shared cultural traditions.
The artwork is composed of vibrant glass ma’amoul – a traditional Lebanese shortbread pastry often shared during Easter and Eid. These pastries symbolise unity, joy, and cross-faith heritage. By recreating them in delicate glass, Mallat pays homage to the lives lost, while celebrating the strength, resilience, and warmth of Lebanese identity.
Not Your Martyr forms part of the museum’s Counter-Monuments exhibition, which also features works by Lebanese artists Rana Haddad and Pascal Hachem. Their collaborative piece, Debris of Text and Eyeglasses, also uses the fragility of glass to explore themes of memory, trauma, and endurance.
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