About Circle of Confusion, 1997
3000 digital prints stamped, numbered and glued on mirror, 4 x 3 m
A large aerial view of Beirut is cut up into 3,000 pieces hanged on a mirror.
Each of these 3,000 fragments is numbered and behind each one of them are written the words “Beirut does not exist”.
Visitors are invited to choose and take away a piece of the image. The image of Beirut becomes fragmented. Each time a visitor pulls out a piece, he uncovers a bit of mirror which reflects his image. As the fragments are gradually removed, an underlying mirror is revealed, reflecting the viewer and the installation surroundings.
The title, Circle of Confusion, refers to a technical term that relates to a camera’s ability to distinguish two points for a particular image format. The installation embodies a reading of the city, which is in perpetual mutation and movement. The installation recalls the impossibility of truly grasping Beirut, which resists definition.
