With the video installation "Drama 1882," Wael Shawky presents a large-scale, multi-layered work exploring power, historiography, and image formation. Wael Shawky's work often deals with changing societies and highlights stories surrounding migration, religion, and power—always with a nod to the present.

Drama 1882

Drama 1882 revolves around a major turning point in Egyptian history: the Urabi Revolution (1879-1882), an army uprising against foreign intervention in Egypt. This revolution was crushed in 1882 by the British, who subsequently controlled Egypt until 1956.

Who actually decides who is a hero, a freedom fighter, or a terrorist? Drama 1882 raises this question and shows how the ruling power often dictates which story is told. In doing so, Shawky holds up a mirror not only to the past, but also to the present. He illuminates a piece of history in his own artistic way, blending fact, speculation, and fiction, and with Drama 1882, he offers a different perspective.

[Source (Original or ML Translation): Stedelijk Museum]