Wael Shawky’s art installation at the reopened church of SS Euno and Giuliano

Wael Shawky

After more than 70 years, the Church of Saints Euno and Giuliano reopens to the public, hosting up to 12 March, an extraordinary art installation of the Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, winner in Turin of the first edition of Mario Merz Prize. The work, is part of Visual Arts section of BAM – Archipelago Mediterranean Biennial, sponsored by the City of Palermo (Department of Culture). Another installation of Shawky is standing at Palazzo Branciforte.

The restored church of SS. Euno and Giuliano

“SS.Euno and Giuliano was one of the “seggettieri”, the ancient porters, Palermo congregational church, abandoned and forgotten after the bombings of ’43. A careful restoration work has brought it back to life, discovering both the vault with niches for the dead, that an  underground space lying under Piazza Magione.

“SS. Euno and Giuliano, abandoned by modernity and recovered from contemporaneity – said the Mayor Leoluca Orlando – is an example of recovery and dialogue with the territory. Shawky offers us an extraordinary work that is above every religion and culture. He tells us that God exists, whatever name we give him “

The Mayor Leoluca Orlando will give the first honorary citizen of Palermo “Italian Capital of Culture” and to “Manifesta 12“ Egyptian artist Wael Shawky.

Orlando explained that the honorary citizenship to Shawky is “a nationality not only to the individual but to the world of art and its relationship with the social and political commitment, the ability of art to look beyond partisan interests and be a bridge between cultures and sensitivities “.

Beatrice Merz

Beatrice Merz, President of the Foundation who worked on the construction of the exhibition event in Palermo, said that “the announcement of the conferral of honorary citizenship to Wael Shawky confirms even more the role of Palermo as the reception capital and cultural development international. We are particularly pleased to have facilitated the encounter between the artist and this extraordinary city. “

One of the art installation of Wael Shawky

Wael Shawky was born in 1971 in Alexandria, Egypt. His artistic production consist of video, drawing and performance, exploring in depth the ways in which you write history and mythology, with a critical perspective on contemporary accounts of change and uncertainty. Among the most important artists of his generation, Shawky has developed an original artistic language that examines the global aesthetic and political issues. He has exhibited all over the world with solo exhibitions, such as the most recent at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; MoMA PS1, New York (2015); the K20, Düsseldorf (2014); the Serpentine Gallery, London (2013); KW Berlin (2012); and he has participated in major group exhibitions, including the Istanbul Biennial (2015); the Sharjah Biennial (2013); and dOCUMENTA (13) (2012). His works have been included in the collections of major public institutions such as Tate Modern, London; MoMA, New York; MACBA, Barcelona; the Qatar Museums, Doha.

The art installation PHOTO