Arleb by Nabad interviews Ingrid El Naccour, full time singer and photographer who believes in the necessity for artists to help others through their art.

Arleb by Nabad – Tell us about your background.

Ingrid El Naccour – I have a BA in Cinema – Television from the Art Faculty at the Lebanese University, and I am a certified vocal styles specialist, graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston. 

Arleb by Nabad – What is the experience that has influenced your work the most? 

Ingrid El Naccour – Everything around me influences my work: it can be nature, it can be music, it can be people, a revolution, a blast, or a certain moment and vibe that catches my eye.

Arleb by Nabad – Which subjects or themes are you working on? 

Ingrid El Naccour – It took me quite a while to be able to create something at all following the Beirut port blast trauma. Then I created the “Save Beirut” collection, to help collect money for NGOs. I am hoping to work on a more positive collection, once things settle a bit in Beirut.

Arleb by Nabad – What is your creative process like? 

Ingrid El Naccour – Honestly, there was no creativity for a while. Especially with the country’s economic crisis and especially due to the Beirut blast. The only creativity I was able to pull off was the after-trauma creativity. I needed to do something to help the people of Beirut and their damaged houses, and my art was the only way.

Arleb by Nabad – What was the impact of the Beirut port blast (August 4, 2020) on your work as an artist/creative enterprise? 

Ingrid El Naccour – All inhabitants of Beirut were marked in varied ways by the Beirut port blast and they have to deal with their traumas. Houses and infrastructure were damaged, people we know were injured or died. The impact on my work was negative. As you can see, my photography collection is not a happy collection, and this is not how I usually see Beirut. Beirut was my happy place, but for now, this is how I see it, and I think the sadness and the destruction in my photographs are a mirror of my feelings. Noting that all art related fields were affected by the blast, but it was a poisoned cherry on top of all crises. 

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the roles of arts and culture in social, economic, environmental or political change? 

Ingrid El Naccour – Arts and culture have a huge role. They unite people, no matter what their religion, age, and social statuses are. They also allow them to communicate together through images, sounds, videos, stories etc… Hence better social interactions. In addition, arts and culture help the economical growth of a country, they create job opportunities, consumer purchases market, and attract tourists. Without innovative/creative ideas and projects, it is impossible to generate supplementary economic wealth, and to increase shared social capital.

As for the environment, it has become a major artistic outlet. Many organizations are producing work on environmental themes, raising awareness with audiences and showcasing the unique role of the cultural sector in addressing climate issues, presenting a range of innovative projects that engage audiences in the issue of climate change. Furthermore, when we produce a space where people can create change, make change or at the very least be heard, then I think that is quite an important thing to do. It might not be necessarily revolutionary, but it is a way of creating a greater equality around politics of representation, which includes being heard, and that might mean telling your own story or communicating your own history, or it might mean producing a work of art that actually represents an idea that you have or a problem that you deem worthy to be addressed.

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the main challenges/obstacles facing artists/creative enterprises in Lebanon nowadays? 

Ingrid El Naccour – The country is facing a lot of difficulties. First the corruption of the government and the revolution, second the economic crisis and the devaluation of the Lebanese Lira, third the banks are holding all our money, fourth the Beirut blast, and let us not forget about Covid 19. Honestly, artists are affected the most, starting by the nightlife that no longer exists (singers, musicians, djs, photographers etc…). Also, Lebanese are barely buying basic food and products that are 5 times more expensive now, so no one is really interested in buying artworks at this stage (photography, painting, sculpture, …). And the list goes on.

CHECK OUT INGRID EL NACCOUR PROFILE AND ARTWORKS FOR SALE ON ARLEB.