The cloud, the fisherman, and the mutating cities (Stainless steel and sand 2012)

Short Biography:

Nadim Karam graduated from AUB in 1982, and went on to do his masters and doctorate in architecture at Tokyo University on a Japanese government scholarship.

During his decade in Japan he created several art exhibitions, installations and performances. Returning to post-war Beirut, he founded Atelier Hapsitus with the idea of forming a multi-disciplinary group to create an original urban vocabulary.

Their first work was a theoretical reflection on the destroyed city center (Hilarious Beirut), which was followed by urban art interventions in Beirut during Solidere’s infrastructural phase, in post-communist Prague, and then others in Japan, the UK and Australia.

Their architectural works include the Hallak and Monza showrooms, Sehnaoui Residence, and have recently been awarded the BLC bank headquarters. Nadim Karam regularly exhibits his own sculptures and paintings in parallel. Publications on his work include ‘Voyage’ (2000) ‘Urban Toys’ (2006) and ‘The Cloud, the Desert and the Arabian Breeze’ (2007).

Profile of the company Hapsitus:

A pluri-disciplinary group founded and les by Nadim Karam, Atelier Hapsitus is a think-tank focused on the creation of an original urban vocabulary.

‘Hapsitus’, meaning the unpredictable outcome of choreographed hap penings and situ ations, is usually the starting point of their projects, which reach maturity through ideas, research and debate.

They use their cross-fertilization of disciplines to generate urban statements. Working from Beirut, they have created large-scale art installation works and architectural works for various cities worldwide.

Publications:

2007: The Cloud, The Desert and The Arabian Breeze, Booth-Clibborn Editions, London.
2006: Urban Toys, Booth-Clibborn Editions, London.
2000: Voyage, Booth-Clibborn Editions, London.