Wael Shawky, a renowned Egyptian artist celebrated for his globally aesthetic and politically influenced art, will speak to students and faculty at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) on September 7.
Shawky will discuss his research and production methodologies from a series of his artistic projects in a session titled “From Wet Culture – Dry Culture (2003) to Crusades (2010–2016).”
“The discussion of how culture and politics can be framed using art and various mediums will be a unique learning experience for the entire NU-Q community,” NU-Q dean and CEO Everette E Dennis said.
Shawky is in residence at the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, which is located in Education City and led by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
Mathaf is part of Qatar Museums led by its chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The work that brought him international recognition was Cabaret Crusades, a film using puppets that act out the medieval struggle for control over the Middle East.
The Financial Times called it “a spine-tingling anti-epic, (that) leaves viewers appalled by the carnage yet riveted by Shawky’s meticulous mapping of the era’s Byzantine twists and turns,” Dennis said.
Shawky was born and educated in Alexandria, Egypt where he continues to live. His practice, spanning video, drawing, and performance, are in-depth productions about the way history and mythology are written, offering crucial perspectives on contemporary narratives of uncertainty and change.