Wael Shawky sees his function as an artist in that of a 'translator', translating to visual language his observations concerning social changes in his homeland and region. His work often deals with creating a portrait of contemporary Egyptian society, which is characterised by unclear divisions, where new lifestyles clash with tradition. Wael's exhibition was part of Black Cube, a series of artists' moving image exhibitions curated by Sarah Munro, Emily Pethick, Polly Staple, Beatrix Ruff, Deborah Smith and Lesley Young. Wael was selected by Sarah Munro.

For his Collective show the artist presented two works. The newest, a film
entitled Digital Church was recorded in Krakow, where the artist went to the Jesuist church in Kopernika street to pray from the Koran. The film points to the spheres in which two different cultures can co-exist whilst at the same time carefully indicating that the lack of hostility, even if it is merely indifference, nowadays becomes a value in itself. The second film, Dodge Ram, was presented as a double screen video of a Dodge Ram four-wheeler and an Arab man in a strange mask, tries to build a wall from liquid tar.

Event

Al Aqsa Park, Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, 31 March 2007
To coincide with the exhibition, there was a special off-site screening at Tantallon Castle. Al Aqsa Park is an animation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, as a carousel, juxtaposing the language of western popular culture and a precision use of symbols to critique a hybrid society.

Download the exhibition information here

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