was one of the most popular presentations during the event’s preview week. Renowned artist Wael Shawky’s feature-length opera, staged and filmed in Alexandria, drew the longest queues in the Giardini and was many people’s ‘must-see’ recommendation.
'We started this whole idea about this exhibition, before the fall and what is happening today in Gaza, but now of course it's linked and it's making sense,' Shawky says to Wallpaper*, speaking outside the exhibition. 'Normally, I don’t like to work in a reactionary way as an artist, when there is a big event like this happening. I always like to go back – I go back to 200 years ago – and try to analyse history, to see how it relates to the present.
'The most important thing about this film is that I produced it in Alexandria, my city, with an amazing cast of young performers, dancers, singers and students,' Shawky adds. As the story unfolds, this double meaning, a stage for something staged, reveals itself, pointing to both historical events and today, addressing performative politics and the ripple of events through timeMuted rich tones are complemented by an immaculately staged performance with sumptuous vocals. Written after extensive research, the libretto is an education in itself.