Ashkal Alwan, The Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts is a non-profit organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. Since 1993, the association has been committed to contemporary artistic practice, production, research and education.

Embedded in Lebanon and the wider region, Ashkal Alwan aims to facilitate artistic production and discourse, foster critical thinking around contemporary social realities, and engage in community mobilization.

Our mission is to create networks of exchange between artistic and cultural practitioners and institutions, build an archival record of artistic and intellectual endeavors in Lebanon and the region, support emerging and established artists by providing the necessary resources for the development of ideas and work, rethink art education, help enrich critical discourse in the Arabic language, as well as provide support for independent initiatives working in and around the civic and political realms.

Ashkal Alwan’s programs include Home Works, a multidisciplinary forum on cultural practices taking place every three years; Home Workspace Program, a tuition-free annual study program for emerging artists; Video Works, an annual video production grant, and a mentoring and screening platform; a Residency Program for artists and cultural practitioners; the publication of literary works and artist books. Our educational and production platforms are accessible to the public. Our facilities include auditoria, editing studios, performance spaces, a library featuring a unique collection on contemporary artistic, cultural, and textual practices in Lebanon and beyond, and an extensive audio-visual archive.