Pascal Hachem Lebanese, b. 1979

Born 1979. Beirut, Lebanon 

Lives and works Beirut, Lebanon and Paris, France  

Pascal Hachem’s work is closely intertwined with the city of Beirut and the conditions of everyday life within it. Shaped by the social and political realities of a place where life unfolds without certainty about what tomorrow may bring, his practice reflects an awareness of impermanence and instability. This condition of unpredictability defines the artist’s perception of the future and informs the transitory nature of his work, in which a piece is considered to have fulfilled its purpose once it has been exposed and its message conveyed. This emphasis on impermanence can be understood as stemming from an instinct of survival during periods of political volatility in Beirut, when artworks were often requisitioned by the authorities. Often working through performative acts, urban interventions, or sculptural and often mechanized installations, Hachem draws on his training as an engineer and his knowledge of materials and systems. Using common objects and, at times, his own body, he extracts their qualities through unexpected associations and layouts. His works invite viewers to pause, concentrate, and work out visual conundrums while engaging with broader political, social, and environmental questions that the artist examines and critiques. 

Hachem’s work has been shown in several international institutions and biennials, including the Desert X AlUla (2024), Saudi Arabia; the Mosaic Rooms, London, UK; the Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju, South Korea; the Mario Merz Foundation, Turin, Italy; Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; the Collection Lambert, Avignon, France; Dak'Art (2014), Senegal; Casa Wabi Foundation, Mexico City; Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), Wisconsin, USA; and the Kunsthaus Dresden, Germany. 

His works can be found in several prestigious art collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Tunisia; the Nadour Collection, Germany; the Farook Collection, Dubai, UAE; and the Galila Barzilai-Hollander Collection, Belgium. 

He was a part-time lecturer at the American University of Beirut (AUB) from 2007 to 2020. He is the creative director and co-founder of 200Grs Studio, established in 2013.