Art for a Cause in Lebanon with Ara Oshagan, Hanibal Srouji, and Christopher Atamian

<p>Ever since humans started painting hunting scenes on the walls of paleolithic caves, through the Renaissance down to today, art has played a social and political role, as well as a purely aesthetic one. Art curators, tasked with putting together shows that deliver a cohesive message, often organize exhibitions along even more socially conscious themes, highlighting a particular social injustice or political issue, or helping to raise funds to help a particular cause. Today, we speak with artists and curators about their practice of cause, with a specific focus on Lebanon.</p> <p><strong>Ara Oshagan</strong> is photographer, installation artist and curator of ReflectSpace Gallery. His books of photographic essay are Displaced and Fatherland.</p> <p><strong>Hanibal Srouji</strong> is a painter and Chairperson of the Art &amp; Design Department at Lebanese American University in Beirut.</p> <p><strong>Co-host/guest Christopher Atamian</strong> is a noted critic, curator and multi-platform storyteller. He has directed &nbsp;and produced several films and plays, and written and translated six &nbsp;books.</p> <p>This episode is co-hosted and co-produced by SWANA collective member Ankine Antaram and guest co-host Christopher Atamian. SWANA Region Radio is run entirely by the volunteer efforts of our collective: Ankine Antaram, Nyma Ardalan, Inara Khankashi, David Lloyd, Hamoud Salhi, Rana Sharif, &amp; Soraya Zarook. You can follow our updates on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/swanaregionradio/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SWANARadio" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/swanaregionradio/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.&nbsp;We appreciate any amplification of our work. Thanks for listening and for sharing!</p>