Wael SHAWKY (Alexandria)

Dictums: Manquia I, 2014, single-channel video, color, sound, 11’10”.

Historically, camels contributed to worldwide trade-economy, until land routes were abandoned for oceanic transportation, through The Pacific Rim. These rare and coveted dark breeds of camel, however, are perhaps en route to one of the prestigious camel parades or beauty pageants held in the Gulf region. Shot on location near Abu Dhabi, Shawky’s serene and majestic video charts patterns of physical, economic and intellectual migration.

About the artist:

Wael Shawky uses a range of media to produce work that explores issues of history, religion, culture and the effects of globalization on society today. In his photographs, installations, videos and performances, he mines traditions of entertainment and performance through multilayered historical reconstructions that force viewers to navigate the territory of truth, myth and stereotype. Shawky’s solo exhibitions include MoMA PS1, New York, Serpentine Galleries, London, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, and KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin.