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L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Renowned interior designer Jean-Louis Mainguy dead at 71
The renowned Franco-Lebanese interior designer and scenographer Jean-Louis Mainguy passed away at the age of 71, the Union of French People Abroad (UFE), of which he was also honorary president, announced Friday. In a statement, the UFE paid tribute to the memory of an "exceptional, visionary, innovative, generous and humane president," who left "his unique mark on the French and Franco-Lebanese landscape ... His memory will remain forever in our hearts." The man of many hats, born in Beirut in 1953, founded "Jean-Louis Mainguy interior architecture" in the 1980s after graduating from ALBA (the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts). Over time, he moved into scenography, whether in theater or even cinema. "Creating apartments, villas, banks, offices, and then, for his own pleasure, opening parenthetical moments, brief, for lack of time," he told L'Orient-Le Jour in 2001. In film, he collaborated with Maroun Baghdadi for his film "Little Wars," and in scenography, he worked on "June and the Apostates" by Nadia Tueni. In 2021, he curated the exhibition "Wounded Art" at the Audi Foundation, which featured "works of art (paintings and sculptures) from private collections that were damaged" by the explosion at Beirut Port on Aug. 4, 2020. Jean-Louis Mainguy was decorated Knight of Justice in perpetual vows of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (religious monk of the order since 2011). He served as director of the School of Decorative Arts and the School of Interior Architecture and Spatial Design at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts – University of Balamand – as well as vice president of the Union of French People Abroad Worldwide (France). A member of the Ayadina association and the Association for the Protection of Sites and Old Dwellings in Lebanon (Apsad), he sat on the executive committee of the Beiteddine Festival and the committee of the Baalbeck Festival. "All those who had the privilege of knowing him are witnesses not only to his genius but also to his ethics and deep humanity," the UFE statement said.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
At 18, Georges Eter weaves poetry, music, and sport into his life's 'mosaic'
At just 18, Georges Eter is a poet, athlete, and musician — winner of the Grand Prize for prose poetry from the Société des Poètes Français and top of his class in the French science baccalaureate at Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour. He now debuts his first poetry collection with Antoine Bookstore Editions: a vivid mosaic of the human soul. He offers us a real journey of initiation that travels through the hazards of life, the lack of love, the search for meaning, and recovered hope. "One is not serious when one is seventeen.'' Yet, the poems in ''Mosaic'' demonstrate a surprising maturity when it comes to the feelings and emotions that can cross the human soul. The poems, which alternate between prose, free verse, and strict alexandrines, read like a journey that moves from darkness to light, passing through the trial of a first love, questioning the meaning of life, and the way we view it through the prism of our emotions. For the young poet, "life is full of oranges to peel" that one must have the courage to bite into, whether they are sweet or bitter, in order to live fully without anxiety or regrets. Because, as Albert Camus writes in ''The Fall,'' "the real horror of existence is not the fear of death, but the fear of life." And the intelligence of life shines in Eter's eyes as he seizes every opportunity that presents itself to him, as he "seizes the day"— and the oranges — to bite into life with all his might. L'Orient-le Jour: You are publishing a first collection with rather dark themes: finitude, nothingness, death, fate, the "lack of love." So many feelings shared by humanity. But it's rare to experience them so intensely when young. Are these feelings you describe so acutely the result of a particular experience, a specific event in your life? Georges Eter: Yes, the first poems of ''Mosaic'' are rather dark, "heavy and blue" as I like to call them. I wrote all the poems at seventeen, a year in which I experienced a love story that deeply marked me and where my emotions were very tangled. My sensitivity was very heightened. The "heavy and blue" poems were therefore born from a need to express these emotions that were passing through me, a creative experience that did me a lot of good because it was unique and freeing. Then, long after writing them, I began to look anew at these pessimistically toned poems. I even considered deleting them because I found them very personal. However, I ultimately kept them because they are what gives our humanity depth. They help shape our world and personalize our mosaics. It was therefore essential for me to keep and share with my readers my part of vulnerability to stay as close as possible to the complexity of the human soul. L'Orient-le Jour: The storm gradually dissipates as one moves through the collection, and several cracks of light and hope open up. How did you conceive the structure of your collection? Georges Eter: The structure of my collection is very symmetrical: it opens with a poem titled ''Darkness'' and ends with ''Light,'' two poems composed in alexandrines, for which I put a lot of work into the rhythm and rhymes. In fact, the rhymes of ''Darkness'' are embraced, or rather I would say "imprisoned," to better express the oppressive feeling of melancholy. In the last poem, the rhymes are crossed to blend with the suppleness of a more open, less fixed feeling. L'Orient-le Jour: As you write, life is a mosaic, a fresco, whose next piece or next touch we do not always know. But sometimes we might have an idea, even if only a vague one. You are 18. A pivotal year where we are asked to make an important life choice. What would be the next piece of your life's mosaic? Georges Eter: I will continue the mosaic of my life at the Faculty of Medicine at USJ (University Saint-Joseph.) Since I was little, I've dreamed of becoming a doctor, of knowing how the body works, and of one day being able to save lives. L'Orient-le Jour: Do you have any future literary projects in mind? Georges Eter: Yes! And not only literary ones, but also musical. I play the piano, and sometimes I compose a few pieces in my spare time. My musical inspirations are as diverse and eclectic as my passions for medicine, mathematics, physics, and literature. I draw material for my compositions from the rigor of classical music, the jazz elegance of Laufey, and the pop of Harry Styles. I am always seeking new experiences to enrich, with various tones, the chiaroscuro of my mosaic! *Georges Eter will sign his first collection 'Mosaic' on Wednesday, Aug.13, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the café of Antoine Bookstore at ABC, Achrafieh.
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Debates, concerts, meetups: L'Orient-Le Jour launches its first festival in Beirut
Does diplomacy still serve any purpose? How can we continue to create when everything is being destroyed? Can change be measured? Is artificial intelligence our new religion? Can freedom simply be declared? For the first time in its history, L'Orient-Le Jour is launching an open-air festival. On Sept. 12, 13, and 14, at the Beirut Hippodrome, three days of debates and celebrations will be open to the public to reflect on a world in total upheaval. The debates will welcome multiple guests from diverse backgrounds: politicians, journalists, artists, activists, researchers, and you, our readers, invited to exchange and debate under Beirut's pine trees. The festival will also welcome our guests of honor, former French President François Hollande and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The festival is also hosting a concert by Ibrahim Maalouf and the Trumpets of Michel-Ange. Tickets are available at retail outlets and on the Ticketing Box Office website here. Openness True to the mission of its founding fathers, L'Orient-Le Jour aims to be more than a written newspaper: it embodies a way of inhabiting the world, cultivating openness and critical thinking and representing "a certain idea of Lebanon." "A wind of freedom" is also a moment of respite away from the outside world, with activities for all ages. Local circus school Cirquenciel will be present to keep your kids busy, while adults can delve into the tumultuous history of the Middle East through the major front pages of L'OLJ that have marked the past hundred years. For this event, our most loyal readers will also be honored: two guided tours exclusively for our subscribers will be held in the streets of the capital, retracing the steps of L'Orient-Le Jour. From the former downtown offices to the Hamra building, you can embark on a unique stroll through the century. The departure and return will be at the Hippodrome. Invitations and registration by email. Tawlet counters will also offer breaks throughout the festival: falafel, saj, shawarma and anything you need. The full program: Friday, Sept. 12 6 p.m. – Opening ceremony Nayla de Freige, CEO of L'Orient-Le Jour. In French, with simultaneous English translation available. Free entry. 6:30 p.m. – Special guest François Hollande L'OLJ welcomes the former French president. In French, with simultaneous English translation available. Free entry with prior registration here. Saturday, Sept. 13 3 p.m. – Doors open Come enjoy the Hippodrome and discover all our activities, both for young and old. L'Orient-Le Siècle exhibit – 100 years of front pages, dining and relaxation area, activities for children in partnership with Cirquenciel, and others. Free entry. 3 p.m. – Guided tour 'In the Footsteps of L'Orient-Le Jour' Tour around Beirut retracing the steps of an iconic daily newspaper. Departure and return at the Hippodrome. Duration: 90 minutes. In French only. Online pre-registration required. Reserved for subscribers. Invitations will be sent by email. 5 p.m. – Hashtag politics in the Middle East: What activism, what impact? Panel with Lina Abou Akleh (activist, Palestine), Malek Khadrawi (journalist, Tunisia) and Wafa Moustafa (activist, Syria). In English, with simultaneous French translation available. Free entry. With Rita Hayek (actress, Lebanon). In French, with simultaneous English translation available. Free entry. 8:30 p.m. – Concert 'Ibrahim Maalouf and the Trumpets of Michel-Ange' Tickets are available online and at Virgin Megastore outlets. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 3 p.m. – Doors open Come enjoy the Hippodrome and discover all our activities, for both young and old! L'Orient-Le Siècle – 100 years of front pages exhibit, dining and relaxation area, children's games... Free entry. 3 p.m. – Guided tour ' In the Footsteps of L'OLJ ' Tour around Beirut retracing the steps of an iconic daily newspaper. Departure and return at the Hippodrome. Duration: 90 minutes. In French only. Online pre-registration required. Reserved for subscribers. Invitations will be sent by email. 3 p.m. – ' Flash talk ' with John Achkar followed by student debates Student debates presented by Lebanese actor and comedian John Achkar. In partnership with Saint Joseph University of Beirut. In French only. Free entry. 5 p.m. – L'Orient Today with Kim Ghattas Discussion with renowned journalist Kim Ghattas, columnist for The Atlantic and The Financial Times, author of Black Wave. Discussion in English. Free admission. Panel with Craig Forman, Kristen Davis, and Fatima Abu Salem (professor at AUB, Lebanon). In English, with simultaneous French translation available. Free entry. 7:30 p.m. – Grand debate – special guest Nawaf Salam L'Orient-Le Jour welcomes the Lebanese prime minister. In French, with simultaneous English translation available. Free entry with prior registration here. Nayla de Freige, CEO of L'Orient-Le Jour. In French, with simultaneous English translation available. Free entry.
