But is it art? You may find yourself asking this question while perusing the predominantly new media displays at the Townhouse Gallery’s latest exhibition Pick 3.
Pick 3 is the third exhibition displaying the best that Helwan University and The American University in Cairo (AUC) students, as well as recent graduates, have to offer, though there is a clear bias in the selection toward untraditional art.
The answer to the first question, however, depends on how you experience the exhibit. Much of it certainly is art in the way that Dadaism claimed to be, though Dadaist art often came with titles delivering the ironic punch. Instead of title, the artists themselves are on hand to answer questions. However, they do so reluctantly, wary of ‘explaining’ their art away. As most of the pieces are conceptual, however, a good chat with the creators goes a long way not only in understanding the works but appreciating what may otherwise be dismissed with a confused glance.
Take for example, the video of an ordinary man telling an ordinary story, all the while with his face painted completely white and golden earrings hanging from his ears. Hossam El Sawah of Helwan University explains that his video “Kekh, (an Arabic equivalent to ‘tsk,’ the term used to reprimand a child) represents, indirectly, society’s reluctance to accept different points of views. The white symbolizes lack of identity and the earrings are actually pacifiers.
Another standout piece is Mohamed Alam’s video shorts Salvador Dali would be proud of. Among the jarring and disparate shorts is one time-lapse clip of worms invading an orange (and subsequently leaving remains) – amazingly, not the most disturbing clip in the series.
“They are a group of ideas inspired by pictures and daily things, explains Alam. He says he likes to use sarcasm and satire in his performance art. As for the orange clip and others like it, Alam simply says “I really like worms. More significantly, though, he explains how worms symbolize life and death for him. “Lots of emotions will be evoked, says Alam, which he thinks will vary according to a viewer’s cultural background. Mahmoud Halawy’s pieces too are very professional and well-constructed. They include two displays showing photographs of miniature faces and bodies overlaid atop glassed newspaper segments, personalizing, contradicting, what the surrounding words may be saying about them or their home countries.
With the exception of Yumna El Bana’s interesting photos, artwork and installations are generally much stronger than the photography, which is neither thought-provoking, nor especially professional.
Avant-garde or not, there is no excuse for the piercing sirens emitted from one the videos in the main hall. The layout of the space also means that sounds from the different videos and installations all distract from each other, creating a final cacophony in the gallery.
Curators for the exhibit are Brian Curling from AUC and Shady El Noshokaty of Helwan University.
Noshokaty is known for his penchant for new media but says there are two reasons for its predominance at the show. “These [works] are not student-quality works, they are the standard of new artists . The paintings [to select from] were not as high a standard.
Noshokaty blames traditional teaching techniques, which do not inspire creativity. At the same time, he says new media is more contemporary. “For the new generations new media is closer [to them] than painting and drawing, explaining how younger artists are accustomed to experimenting with new technology.
Pick 3 will run at the Townhouse Gallery until July 4. Noshokaty will be holding the summer new media workshop at the Faculty of Art Education from July 7th to the 26th.
