Since the forties of the twentieth century, two parallel trends dominated over the Egyptian art movement: the first and more prevalent was characterized by technically proficient figuration and literary representation, while the other trend was a local avant-garde current with rebellious artists who attempted to expand the limits of traditional methods of expression. In the late eighties and early nineties the Egyptian art scene witnessed a then burgeoning inclination towards technical and conceptual experimentation among mid-career and younger artists. Today the same art movement —celebrating more than a century of modernism in the arts— is an effervescent continuum of contemporary art trends, with artists who lead both local and international careers and who sustain to live and work in Egypt, the success of many of whom on the international art scene is still being documented and theorized under labels as “Arab art “ or “Middle East art”, labels that serve exclusively commercial markets and market niches. Such phenomena of international success, market “labeling” and the absolute lack of “commercially disinterested” proper theoretic and pedagogic documentation are the principal drivers for us to conceptualize the project Why Not?: Contemporary Art from Egypt.
Why Not? is a an open call for those artists to follow more audacious personal research; the project encourages artists to attempt further experimentation in unconventional mediums and media, and challenge their own current studio practices. The project addresses praxis of both process and art production. The 44 invited artists and their projects represent the diversity of art practices vis-à-vis mediums, techniques, concepts and craft that we traced in Egypt within the past decade. The final artworks will testify on the current state of the arts in Egypt, and the catalogue photo-documentation as well as the artists’ statements will be an appropriate material to start a proper theoretical and pedagogic research.
The title Why Not? reflects the infinite open possibilities that defy and challenge the standard axioms which eventually erupt within traditional stagnant streams of thought. Our readiness and —in fact— encouragement of potential results whatever they may become are equally infinite.
Mohamed Talaat
Cairo 2009
Artists:
======
Abdelwahab Abdelmohsen
Adel El siwi
Adel Haroun
Ahmed Askalany
Ahmed Basyouni
Ahmed Elbadry
Ahmed Fathy
Ahmed Foula
Ahmed Nagy
Akram Elmagdoub
Amal Kenawy
Ayman Elsemary
Ayman Lotfy
Basem Magdy
Deyaa Dawoud
Emad Abo Zeid
Enas Elsedeek
Fares Ahmed
Gamal Maleika
Hanafy Mahmoud
Hany Rashed
Hazem Elmestekawy
Huda Lutfi
Iman Issa
Khaled Hafez
Magdy Moustafa
Mahmoud Halawy
Marwa Adel
Marwa Talaat
Mohamed Abdelkareim
Mohamed Abla
Mohamed Allam
Mohamed Fahmy
Mohamed Fathy Abulnaga
Mohamed Haroun
Mohamed Hosam Eldin
Nevein Farghaly
Osama Hamza
Ramzy Moustafa
Reham Elsaadany
Tarek Hanafy
Wael Shawki
Weaam Elmasry
Curated by: Mohammed Talaat