Egyptian artist Wael Shawky (°1971) immerses his audience in a seductive and surreal oeuvre about the shared history of Eastern and Western cultures. Rather than pursuing a political debate, he challenges us to evaluate ingrained narratives. In M Leuven, Shawky shows three vast and long-term projects: The Gulf Project Camp (2019 - 2021), Cabaret Crusades (2010-2015), and The Cave (2005). As we travel together through his imagined societies of asphalt, graphite, wood, and Venetian glass, Shawky reveals the transformative power of the dream, migration, and society-building.
Zeynep Kubat: You define migration as a transformative process, as more than simply a movement in time and space. How do you translate this transformative power into your work and this exhibition?
Wael Shawky: The title of this exhibition is D…
