Swen Renault – Tokborné

A stack of pumpkins climb a wall.
The aged, treasured, sepia photograph of a soldier held in the palm of a hand.
The dusty, mucky, grey bowels of a car engine.
A small thumbnail devotional image of Christ held in place by tacky fridge magnets.

Tokborné in Lebanese Arabic literally means bury me! Though this traditional expression sounds violent, on the contrary it expresses many affections; it is often employed by Lebanese mothers to express benevolent protection against youth. The ambivalence of this commonly used word summarises perfectly the many contradictions and oppositions that coexist in this country of perpetual rebirth. Indeed whether it is political, confessional, human or territorial, Lebanon tries to free itself and accept its past to live in its time and consider an exciting future.