These settings, marked by the abundance of built-in solar panels, slowly reveal a country deprived of light\u2014both literally, due to the intermittent electricity disruptions, and metaphorically, through the disintegration of social structures. It is within this context that residents become desensitized to corruption, experience moral lapses, and face systemic challenges. Their resilience gives way to a momentary surrender to the overwhelming feeling born out of continuously facing adversity\u2014a momentary darkness and hopelessness. Such persistent crises engender a temporary, albeit profound, loss of moral clarity, mirroring the cyclical pattern observed in the natural phenomenon of the solar system. EDL <\/em>(2024) and the Untitled<\/em> (2024) diptych, situated on either side of the gallery space\u2014the former depicting a modernist electricity building (Electricit\u00e9 du Liban) and the latter a nearly illegible colonial mapping of Lebanon\u2014derive their significance from the past they summon, which persists in its unfolding, thus remaining in effect. Here, the fragmented image of the building marks the failure of what was once an emblem of modernity\u2014a structure that promised a future of prosperity, reinforced architecturally by panoramic views of the boundless horizon and the sea from every level. Untitled<\/em> recalls the undelivered promises of the past that have plunged the country into darkness today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enveloped by Joumaa\u2019s work in the gallery space, we inevitably succumbed to an overwhelming sense of frustration, a phase marked by ethical lapses in which we acquiesced and resigned ourselves to the prevailing circumstances presented in the works. It is, however, important to note that the nation has not entirely given in. Through the soundtrack of Mutable Cycles II <\/em>(2024), the chants from 2019 protests reverberate across the gallery. Joumaa effectively elucidates the critical tension of living under constant depravity, which births a moral erosion; and yet, although corruption and desensitization are pervasive, an undercurrent of resistance remains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n People continue their search for solutions\u2014even when these solutions emerge from the corrupt system itself\u2014such as reliance on private generators during electricity shortages. Resistance is configured as an ongoing state of negotiation\u2014a dialectical push and pull between sombre resignation to the status quo and the impetus for change. A restless mode of existence, perpetually divided and agitated. Joumaa captures us in the overwhelming nature of the situation, prompting us to confront the pressing question: For how long can a nation or a person endure? The question remains unanswered. Time marches on, much like Earth orbits around the Sun. Perhaps this is what Joumaa means by A Temporary Loss of Consciousness<\/em>: a pervasive state of numbness and inertia in the face of corruption, a constant state of yearning for a response that often disappoints. Such enduring frustration delineates a compelling portrait of a nation ensnared in a cyclical interplay of hope and disillusionment, where aspirations for progress are persistently thwarted by the realities of corruption and systemic adversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A writer and researcher from Istanbul, Irem Karaaslan is interested in exploring how aesthetics can address the pressing issues of the twenty-first century meaningfully, with a particular emphasis on the migrant crisis and ecological exigencies.<\/p>\n![\"Joyce-Jouma\"](\"https:\/\/esse.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/113_CR_Karaaslan_Joyce-Jouma_03-scaled.jpg\")
A Temporary Loss of Consciousness<\/em>, exhibition view,
Galerie Eli Kerr, Montr\u00e9al, 2024.
Photo: Simon S. Belleau, courtesy of the artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Joyce-Jouma\"](\"https:\/\/esse.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/113_CR_Karaaslan_Joyce-Jouma_02-scaled.jpg\")
Hallab Bldg<\/em>, installation view,
Galerie Eli Kerr, Montr\u00e9al, 2024.
Photo: Simon S. Belleau, courtesy of the artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n