Photography: Ad Achkar

The thirteenth edition of the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space marks the international launch of
Mute Movements - A Collective Performance Art Journey Through Beirut 2009-2014.

First book of its kind in Lebanon, Mute Movements documents the emergence of a Performance Art scene in Lebanon under the direction of Cornelia Krafft, artist, choreographer, and former assistant professor at the American University of Beirut. The book illustrates the collective work of students and artists (aged 19 to 25) exploring their everyday challenges and concerns through the medium of performance.

Captured in high-quality photographs and narrated through the performers’ own words, Mute Movements invites the reader to embark on an inspirational journey through modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of these young artists striving to confront internal and external challenges on the personal, national, and regional levels.

Their “mute” performances, situated in provocative locations, demanded attention and triggered debate. Played out in unorthodox settings – abandoned buildings, war ruins, along the sea shore, in city streets and run-down cinemas – these performances required almost as much of the spectators as of the players with their fundamental questioning of issues of collective relevance: social responsibility, personal and regional identity, cultural heritage, censorship, conflict, freedom, and repression.

The book’s minimalistic aesthetic and design enfold a wealth of artistic images, an extraordinary record of the evolution of Performance Art in Lebanon across five fertile years of artistic endeavor. Across the pages of the book, each performance unfolds in documentary-like fashion, revealing the extent to which contemporary education in the fields of performance, set design, and visual arts can engage and inspire its audiences. While the focus is on Lebanon and its youth, the bigger picture is a work in progress with relevance extending beyond the borders of one small country, making Mute Movements a valuable and highly enjoyable reference work of international importance.

Submitted for the PQ Best Scenography Publication Award, Mute Movements is on display at the Award Exhibition
in Clam-Gallas Palace and is on sale at the PQ Bookshop, located Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace.

On Display - Best Scenography Publication Award Exhibition
Venue: Clam-Gallas Palace
Opening Hours: Thursday 18 to Sunday 28 June 2015, from 10 am to 7 pm / Friday 19 June 2015, from 10 am to 11 pm

On Sale - PQ Bookshop
Venue: Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace
Opening Hours: Thursday 18 to Sunday 28 June 2015, from 10 am to 7 pm / Friday 19 June 2015, from 10 am to 11 pm

Author: Cornelia Krafft
Publisher: AUB Press
Publishing date: 2015
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9789953586175

For more information: www.corneliakrafft.com



There has been, in recent years, a rise in interest in publications about scenography with various publications such as: historical books; articles about contemporary practices; introductions into scenography books; tool books; theoretical work about performative space; impressive monographs of leading world scenographers; as well as periodicals dedicated to scenography. The Prague Quadrennial aims to support this trend and to make visible the diversity of publications created about and around scenography by fostering the Best Scenography Publication Award.