In Saida, a painting by Tom Young brings together two images of Yarun: the locality before the bombings and what it became after. A mosque and a church recall a common life that the artist knew for having observed and painted. This work belongs to « Ranin », the exhibition inaugurated on 30 October 2026 in Hammam al-Jadid, in the old town.
The destroyed places and the lives they sheltered
Organized by the Sharqi Foundation for Cultural Development and Innovation, the course brings together more than fifteen new paintings. The South appears through its villages, farmland and heritage, including the Roman remains of Tyre and Beaufort Castle.
The tables also refer to schools and rescues: a destroyed school bus, damaged buildings and first aid workers at work. In his public statements, Young presents painting as a way of approaching trauma and preserving memory, not as a comprehensive inventory of damage.
A portrait pays tribute to journalist Amal Khalil, whom the painter knew and who had attended the hammam. The exhibition thus combines the memory of people with that of places.
An old hammam turned cultural space
The framework extends this dialogue. The works occupy the former warm room, known as the « Beit al-Nar ». His roof was damaged during the 1982 war. The memory of violence is therefore not only on the webs: it also belongs to the history of the building.
Ranin is part of the « Revival » project, launched in October 2020. The initial exhibition was based on the memories of former inhabitants who told about their visits to the hammam. These stories helped restore a sociability whose photographs were rare.
Six years of re-appropriation
Restoration has mobilized traditional techniques, with lime and clay rather than cement, under the supervision of Omar Haidar. The venue then hosted concerts, meetings and artistic activities.
For Sharqi President Said Bacho, this new exhibition marks six years of cultural activity in the hammam. The opening included Tony Khoury’s short documentary « Revival Continues », dedicated to the site’s journey. Young’s new series continues this story by moving the gaze to the villages of the South and the memories of their inhabitants.
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