Marwan Tahtah, Beirut, Libanon

Aleppo in black and snow / Behind the veil

Marwan Tahtah

Aleppo in black and snow
In oppressive black-and-white photographs, Marwan Tahtah (born 1981 Beirut) documents everyday life in the war-torn city. Two million people once lived here. “The weeping child walks barefoot in the chilling cold, he crosses his city divided in two, east and west,” is the photographer’s description of the scene. Soldiers burn furniture to warm themselves. Only one mutual enemy exists in December 2016 that can’t be controlled: the unbearable cold!

Behind the veil
Trust is the prerequisite for a unique experiment. In Marwan Tahtah’s Beirut photo studio, a 22-year-old Muslimah lets herself be photographed without her veil. Hands, hair, hairpins, and the veil are arranged as a still life. Eleven motifs emerge, and the young woman talks about them: subjectively, honestly, with contradictions. The result is an intimate portrait essay.