BEIRUT invites to an evening dedicated to renowned Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, including the launch of the book « Wael Shawky: Al Araba Al Madfuna » and the Egyptian premiere of the film « Al Araba Al Madfuna » (Part 1).

« Wael Shawky’s film oeuvre is remarkably impressive due to its consistent development and extraordinary precision: His re-performances of historical and political events ignite unconventional perspectives, which exceed reflections of Egyptian societal structures. He creates images that are crafted with technical mastership and therefore induce an immediate persuasiveness. »

With these words the jury granted Wael Shawky the acclaimed Ernst Schering Foundation Award 2011 comprising 10,000 Euros, a solo exhibition at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, and a publication. Through this award, Shawky realized the first part in a new series of film works « Al Araba Al Madfuna » (2012). The film, shot with children in Upper Egypt, is based on a story by Egyptian novelist Mohamed Mustagab. It premiered with the solo exhibition « Wael Shawky: Al Araba Al Madfuna », curated by Susanne Pfeffer, at KW Contemporary Art Institute, Berlin (26 August – 21 October, 2012).

« Wael Shawky: Al Araba Al Madfuna » (2014) is the artist’s first monograph in Arabic and in English, featuring his past and present projects, and includes interviews and essays by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Heike Catherina Mertens, Jessica Morgan, Susanne Pfeffer, and Sarah Rifky.

Saturday, 08 February

19:00 Introductions by Heike Catherina Mertens (Ernst Schering Foundation) and Sarah Rifky (Beirut)

19:30 « Al Araba Al Madfuna » (Part 1), 22 mins.

http://beirutbeirut.org/index.html