Drama 1882 - دراما ١٨٨٢

Artists

Wael Shawky

Press release

National Participation - Egypt

For the Egyptian Pavilion, Shawky has created Drama 1882, a filmed rendition of an original musical  play directed, choreographed, and composed by the artist, around Egypt’s nationalist Urabi revolution  against imperial influence (1879-82). The year 1882 was the year this revolt was crushed by the British,  who then went on to occupy Egypt until 1956. In part inspired by the Biennale Arte 2024 theme  “Foreigners Everywhere”, Shawky said: “There was a revolt led by the Egyptian Colonel Ahmed Urabi and his army against the Egyptian monarch, calling him a traitor because he fell prey to the British and French. The interesting thing about this discourse is the idea of the foreigners – what does it mean to be ‘foreigners’? Who were they? They were the occupiers – it was not the idea of immigrants that we have today.”
 

The film is accompanied by vitrines, sculpture, paintings, drawings and a mirror relief made in Murano. 

In accepting the invitation to represent Egypt at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di  Venezia, Shawky said: “This is a moment of global political urgency and revolutionary change. It seemed paramount to represent my country with a strong message at this time. To reflect on the historic occupation in Egypt felt timely, pressing, and important.”