Gathering more than 10,000 visitors, the Salon du Chocolat Beirut returns to BIEL from 16-18 November for its fourth edition. The one-of-a-kind effect dedicates itself to showcasing the latest in chocolate, pastry, and confectionery, and hosts a vibrant program of live demonstrations with over 20 of the country’s top pastry chefs.
In addition to the favorite chocolate Fashion Show, where Lebanese designers and renowned pastry chefs work hand in hand to create fabulous dresses made out of chocolate, the Salon du Chocolat Beirut will debut an exceptional event at its 2017 edition. ACCLAIMED Lebanese artist, sculptor and poet Rudy Rahme and renowned chef Charles Azar will be unveiling a unique chocolate sculpture created especially for the show. The impressive art piece FIRE DANCE (when women dance in the fire there are flames of eternal movement the alphabet flows like the taste of love ... and suddenly freezes!) will be on display throughout the festival for visitors to view.
In parallel, Rahme and Azar will oversee the first ever Chocolate Sculpture Competition. More than ten students from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (Alba) will go head-to-head in a competition to sculpt the most impressive design from a block of chocolate. The theme of the competition is “Musical Ear.” The final pieces will be displayed throughout the remaining days of the show.
About the creator:
Rudy Rahme is a Lebanese painter, sculptor, and poet. He was born in Bcharre, north of Lebanon in 1967. He was the secretary of Gibran Khalil Gibran’s Committee for Culture and the President of the Cedars Forest Committee where he is still a member. He is the Founder and President of "Azamil Al Alwan" Association, a member of The Lebanese Sculptors and Painters Syndicate and a member of Darag Al Fan – DAG Association.
Rudy was a student at the “Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts – ALBA”. He then pursued his specialization in fresco and sculpture at the “Academia Spinelli” in Florence with the assistance of the Baraldi family and conducted lost wax casting sessions at the “Fonderie Coubertin” in Paris. He invented a new technique for fixing the “Pencil on Canvas” paintings which was patented in his name in Florence, Italy and announced at the “Gadarte Gallery” there. From north to south Lebanon, Rudy has so far conducted a list of personal and collective exhibitions in which he always performs live sculpting, live painting, conferences and poetry evenings.
In the Arab world, Rudy had the chance to represent Lebanon and participate in a number of exhibitions. He has created several sculptures for Arab leaders and celebrities. Some of his most significant exhibitions were: “Teramo Exhibition” in Italy, “The International Art Show Room” in Geneva, Switzerland, “Christmas in Five Continents” in Paris, France, “The Francophone Communities Symposium” in Tripoli, Lebanon and “The International Symposium” in Rachana, Lebanon where he was selected as the representative of Lebanese sculptors. He also participated at “The Annual Symposium” in Czech Republic and “The First Lebanese-Latvian Arts Exhibition” at the UNESCO in Beirut, Lebanon. His sculptors are part of the permanent “Galerie du Marché-Prestige” in Montreux, Switzerland and the “Gadarte Gallery” in Florence, Italy. He also exposed his work in worldwide cosmopolitan cities such as Miami, Singapore, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Switzerland, Dubai and Monaco.
Of all his abundant achievements, “La Martine Cedar” known as the cedar of the father remains the most remarkable wooden sculptor and the largest around the world. It stands 39 meters high. In addition to this he brought to life, 102 human figures that reflect the link between time and place. Rudy also transferred two other dead cedar trees into pieces of art: the cedar of the son and the cedar of the holy spirit, and there are still 11 cedars waiting for their turn to complete the human forest in the “Cedar Forest”.
It is also worth mentioning that Rudy Rahme has been selected as one among 40 international artists chosen to continue the work on Nelson Mandela’s six paintings that will be exhibited all over the world to support Mandela’s Foundation.
Among the distinguished works of Rudy are, a monumental sculpture of Gibran Khalil Gibran in Bronze that stands 4 meters high at the entrance of Gibran’s Museum in Bcharre, Lebanon as well as the complete carving of Mary Haskell’s Cultural Place which spreads over an area of 5000 m2 near the Museum and the memorial sculpture at Gibran’s tomb.
Rudy’s work has always been appreciated and received numerous local and international awards, gratifications and appreciation certificates from different organizations and associations.
Rudy is an artist who is always ready to leave the city of his comfort and set off into the wilderness of his intuition! He describes himself as a school that was born from his past, a past filled with the schools of artists before him. He depicts himself as a tree trunk that was strengthened by the roots of his past, invisible roots that are the power in him, the power of God. He says: “what is now visible is the shape and space, and what is invisible is the time. Uniting both is what makes us.” His latest project continues nowadays… The Walking Rock.
