Summary of the 2nd edition of "Gardens Of Lebanon" - "Water,source,life".

The second edition of "Gardens of Lebanon" with the subtitle "Water, Source, Life" has already become a memory. We started dreaming about it timidly, observing last year's meetings around the 1st edition ("Fiber, fabric, bond"). What happened was beyond our expectations.
This year's exhibition consisted of 34 works prepared by 14 Polish artists, twelve of whom took part in the project for the first time. We called this edition "Watercolorists", because watercolors (water paints) were indeed the common formal denominator for all 33 paintings and one fabric. We planned to organize the second edition according to last year's schedule: autumn exhibitions in Beirut and winter’s in Poland. However, the Lebanese presentations of the exhibition showed us the dynamics of the project, which we followed with confidence, adapting previous schedules and changing plans. The autumn of 2023, marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was juggling the dates of openings, but also our anxieties and emotions. Among the correspondence with artists from that time, their opinions appeared: "If the exhibition is not shown for security reasons, it will only strengthen its message", "Are you safe? How do you feel?", "We didn't realize that Lebanon was also affected by this conflict. Take care". This was very important to us and our Lebanese Team and we thank you again for it.

In the fall, the "Gardens" bloomed in force in three places in Beirut:
- in Chiyah Park in the Ain el Remmaneh district (10/11/2023)
- at the University of La Sagesse during the celebration of the Lebanese Independence Day (20-23/11/2023)
- in the Cultural Center at the church of St. Michael the Archangel in the Mar Mkhayel district (November 24-25, 2023)

The schedule of Polish exhibitions also showed us that "Gardens" bloomed in an unexpected way, but bear surprisingly beautiful fruit.
We started the Polish exhibitions with an educational one called: "Gardens of Lebanon. Prologue. On the role of art in wounded places” at Branch No. 26 of the Municipal Public Library in Katowice. We have prepared 8 boards about why "Gardens" and why "Lebanon". At the exhibition, we also presented 5 works by Upper Silesian artists taking part in this year's edition and a painting by Alicja Michalak "Among the Flowers of Lebanon", which took part in the Polish-Lebanese exhibition "Young Gardens of Lebanon". The exhibition was open throughout February, and included art classes for children and a meeting with seniors.
The "Prologue" was followed by three full showings of "The Gardens of Lebanon"
- in "Galeria pod Sztrychem" at MDK 1 in Bytom (March 15 - April 11, 2023)
- in the open gallery of the Municipal Cultural Center "Batory" in Chorzów (19/04 - 9/05/2023)
- at the „Fratelli Tutti” café club in Łódź (11/05 – 07/06/2023).

The openings and several meetings accompanying the exhibitions were a time of strengthening conversations, deep questions and silence in front of the paintings and stories that allowed us to take a stop.
"Gardens of Lebanon. “Water, Source, Life” bloomed with a total of six full exhibitions and an educational one, but above all, numerous meetings with unique paintings. Once again, we wholeheartedly thank the Artists:
Agnieszka Bohdanowicz
Joanna Bożek
Grzegorz Chudy
Marcelina Deka
Barbara Gałczyńska
Izabela Janowska
Adam Lempa
Martyna Łuszczyńska
Miłosz Nosiadek
Adam Papke
Gosia Sendlewska
Anna Strutyńska
Łukasz Szostkiewicz
Magdalena Wesołowska

and institutions with which we had the pleasure to cooperate:
Branch No. 26 of the Municipal Public Library in Katowice
Galeria pod Sztrychem – Youth Cultural Center No. 1 in Bytom
Municipal Cultural Center "Batory" in Chorzów

You have planted an extraordinary Garden filled with beauty and goodness; the fruits it bears can only be written with a capital letter: Dialogue, Relationships, Meeting, Growth. The Young Gardens of Lebanon are sprouting right next to your gardens. Thank you!