On International Museum Day, explore Beirut's take on art through your screen

On International Museum Day - that is today, May 18 - art and history are celebrated and admired around the world. Amid a pandemic that has solicited social distancing from everyone, museums with doors shut are moving online. 

Google Arts & Culture, an online platform and application that helps people experience art and cultural treasures wherever they may be, is marking this day with virtual tours of 75 museums from over 25 countries. The tech giant has partnered with over 2,000 organizations to bring forward a plethora of exhibitions from different corners of the world. 

Among the partners, Lebanon has taken two spots: One by the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the second by Beirut Art Residency (BAR).

AUB is well known for its comfortable position among the Arab region's top universities year after year. Its only campus, situated on the lively street of Bliss in Hamra, Beirut, contains multiple libraries, a special collections archive, and several museums.

The university's online collections on Google Arts & Culture include 165 posters from the early 60s and an exhibit about Lebanon through its art posters. In total, you can explore 165 assets and three exhibitions in Arabic and English.

The exhibits focus on Antoine Kerbage and the Lebanese theater, Middle East's own Picasso Hussein Madi, and Lebanon through Art Posters. 

BAR is a live-work space for artists/collectives looking to develop projects in a stimulating environment. They help local and international artists in locating materials, connecting with local art figures, and finding their bearings in this multifaceted city.

Beirut Art Residency's presence on Google Arts & Culture highlights the adoration Lebanon and its capital have for all-things art.

Traveling through their 14 exhibits and 547 assets, one finds the many stories and thoughts that have been lived and experienced by the diverse body of artists who've been part of BAR.