A massive 11-ton sculpture that became an iconic symbol of Lebanon's 2019 popular uprising has mysteriously vanished from downtown Beirut overnight, leaving its creator searching for answers. The "Wall of Hope," a 13-foot-tall concrete and Corten steel structure created by Lebanese-French-Senegalese artist Hady Sy, disappeared from its location in front of the Le Gray Hotel without any notification to the artist or apparent legal authorization.
The sculpture was originally installed on September 23, 2019, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Beirut Art Fair. The imposing structure, designed to represent a barrier with broken central bars, quickly transcended its artistic origins when it became a rallying point for protesters during Lebanon's October 2019 popular revolt. For Sy and the countless "revolutionaries who posed in front of it," the sculpture embodied a moment of hope and unity for the entire population.
Remarkably, the Wall of Hope survived the devastating double explosion at Beirut's port in August 2020, emerging unscathed while buildings for miles around were reduced to rubble. Even the Le Gray Hotel, which had just reopened after years of closure and months of rehabilitation work, suffered significant damage in the blast. This resilience only added to the sculpture's symbolic power as a representation of Beirut's capacity for hope and resistance.
Sy learned of his artwork's disappearance when a friend alerted him Wednesday evening that the Wall of Hope had vanished from the hotel's esplanade. The artist expressed outrage that none of the administrative authorities responsible for the area where the sculpture had stood for over four years bothered to contact him about the removal. "All I know is that nobody took the trouble to contact me to warn me," he told L'Orient-Le Jour, uncertain whether the Beirut municipality, the governor's office, Solidere development company, or the hotel itself was responsible.
Approximately six months before the sculpture's disappearance, a Solidere representative had contacted Sy suggesting he remove the piece, claiming it had been affected by rust due to lack of maintenance. However, Sy explained that the rusty color was precisely the natural characteristic of Corten steel. He also received a contract written in Arabic that he refused to sign, not being fluent in written Arabic. "I was ready to discuss with Solidere's director the possibility of restoration, but I insisted that this sculpture, which had become emblematic of Beirut's capacity for hope and resistance, should not be torn away from the capital," Sy said.
Seeking to protect his artwork, Sy enlisted the help of Vice Prime Minister Tarek Mitri to intercede with the Minister of Culture and Solidere on his behalf, which Mitri assured him he had done. Given this intervention, the artist believed it was no longer conceivable that his Wall of Hope could be touched without his consent, much less dismantled and spirited away during a moonless night.
L'Orient-Le Jour's attempts to contact officials from the various administrations mentioned went unanswered, leaving the mystery of who ordered the sculpture's removal unsolved. Sy now worries about how the artwork may have been treated during its removal, expressing hope "that they didn't saw it up." Despite the unauthorized removal, the artist maintains his desire to recover the sculpture and donate it permanently "to the Lebanese capital, to all those who live there, to all those who come to have their pictures taken there, and there are many, because it symbolizes for them, despite the time of monsters we are living through, a time of hope."
The disappearance raises serious questions about public art, property rights, and cultural heritage in Lebanon. The fact that such a massive structure could be removed overnight without proper authorization or notification to its creator highlights broader issues of governance and transparency in the country. As Beirut continues to rebuild and recover from multiple crises, the fate of the Wall of Hope serves as a metaphor for the challenges facing Lebanese society's own hopes for renewal and democratic expression.
