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Artist: Hala Elkoussy |
Curator: Jelle Bouwhuis |
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Hala Elkoussy, Egypt
The Myths & Legends Room: The Mural
Curator: Jelle Bouwhuis, Netherlands
The large-scale The Myths and Legends Room: The Mural is an unexpected take on the mural as a commemorative work of propaganda art, referencing wall paintings and dioramas that celebrate the history of modern Egypt. By distilling what can be viewed as an anthology of contemporary myths and legends, a more fluid and human reading of history is brought forward, standing in sharp contrast to how it is presented in the educational systems of Egypt and most of the Arab World. This parallel universe takes its cues from the almost instinctive tradition of storytelling where everyday characters fight against the odds while adhering to noble values.
The starting point is a “polished” reality, offering alternatives of how the topography of the city can be navigated, how its history can be permeated and, especially, how one can negotiate an individual position within the masses under the pressures of consumerism, social norms and political apathy. In general, Elkoussy deals with modernisation as a loss of tradition as well as a challenge; to inscribe a sense of the past as contained in habits, traditions and urban legends with the current visual language of film and photography. The resulting installations reflect and comment on the speed of the dazzling urban-alteration process, for which the fast-growing, dynamic, contemporary metropolis of Cairo serves as the prime example.
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