ROZAFA CASTLE_I AM HYMNS OF THE NEW TEMPLES
I Am Hymns of the New Temples centers around an investigation into Greek mythology, specifically, the dissemination of myths and their persistence across sources, time and cultures. In the film, Pompeii’s archaeological remains – themselves testament to the interweaving and complex configuration of Mediterranean cultures – become an embodiment of the multiplicity of narrative.
Wael Shawky (b. 1971, Egypt) lives and works in Alexandria, Egypt and Philadelphia, USA. Wael Shawky uses a range of media to produce work that explores issues of history, religion, culture and the effects of globalisation on society today. In 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 Serpentine Galleries, London, UK (2013-2014), Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA (2013), KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany (2012), Nottingham Contemporary, UK (2011), Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK (2011) and Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella, Italy (2010) among other venues. Recent group presentations include DOCUMENTA 13, Kassel, Germany (2012) and the Istanbul Biennial, Turkey (2011). He received the Schering Foundation Art Award and the Abraaj Capital Art Prize in 2011. Shawky’s residencies include Sharjah Art Foundation’s Witness Programme and the Serpentine’s Edgware Road Project. Shawky founded MASS Alexandria, an independent studio study programme for young artists in Alexandria in 2010