Lebanon’s AUBMC pioneers art integration in healthcare

LEBANON—The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), in partnership with the Temporary Art Platform (TAP), has launched an innovative project called “Public Health.”

This initiative is the first of its kind in Lebanon and the surrounding region, blending contemporary art with medicine to enhance the environment of the Halim and Aida Daniel Academic and Clinical Center (ACC) at AUBMC.

The launch event was attended by prominent figures including AUB President Fadlo R. Khuri, AUBMC Medical Center Director Joseph Otayek, Associate Vice President Ali Taher, TAP Founder and Curator Amanda Abi Khalil, as well as other faculty members and leaders from AUB and AUBMC.

“Public Health” began in 2017 as a unique series of site-specific art commissions.

Eight contemporary artists were invited to rethink the medical center space, which anthropologist Marc Augé describes as a “non-place” — a location people pass through without forming lasting social ties or a sense of belonging.

The artists were challenged to transform this clinical setting into a space that encourages reflection, interaction, and emotional connection.

The project, brought to life by TAP’s curators Amanda Abi Khalil and Nour Osseiran, unveiled six artworks by artists Tamara Al-Samerraei, Catherine Cattaruzza, Hatem Imam, Lara Tabet, and two artist duos: Rayya and Zeina Badran, and Nadim Mishlawi and Sharif Sehnaoui.

These works explore the unique sounds, bodies, and stories within AUBMC, reshaping how patients, staff, and visitors experience the medical center.

By integrating contemporary art into a clinical environment, “Public Health” not only enriches the space but also promotes research at the intersection of art and medicine.

It encourages collaboration among artists, curators, and healthcare professionals, while offering patients and visitors meaningful artistic experiences in a setting often associated with stress and routine.

President Khuri emphasized that this project is more than just an art collection; it represents a renewed commitment to creating a healthcare system that is compassionate, patient-centered, and genuinely human.

He expressed gratitude to everyone involved, including TAP, the artists, generous donors, and the AUBMC leadership team for their belief in this vision from the beginning.

Ali Taher highlighted that this initiative treats art not as decoration but as essential infrastructure—an integral part of how healing is imagined and experienced.

Through thoughtful and inspired artistic interventions, hospitals can be reclaimed as places of meaning, comfort, and connection.

Amanda Abi Khalil explained that by inviting artists to engage deeply with the medical center as a site rather than just a backdrop, “Public Health” opens up important new ways to think about healthcare environments.

The project includes participatory processes involving staff and patients, as well as sensory and spatial artworks that challenge traditional experiences of care.

The idea for this project was inspired by Dina Zameli during the inauguration of President Khuri and has received generous support from AUBMC and donors including Hamzah Dayyeh, Nafiz Mustafa Jundi, Michel Khallouf, Elie Khalil Khoury, Henrietta Abela Nammour, Mohamad Ali and Dina Zameli, as well as Commercial Insurance.

As a landmark in AUBMC’s history, “Public Health” underscores the institution’s dedication not only to medical excellence but also to cultural innovation and community engagement.

It reaffirms AUBMC’s role as a pioneer in healthcare, demonstrating how art and medicine can come together to create a more humane and inspiring healing environment.

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