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Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories

Past exhibition
February 28 - April 27, 2025
  • Overview
  • Installation Views
  • Works
  • Press
Overview
Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories

Barakat Contemporary is pleased to present Wael Shawky’s (b. 1971, Egypt) second solo exhibition at the gallery, on view from February 28 to April 27, 2025.

 

Wael Shawky has established a distinctive narrative world that blurs the lines between reality and fiction through a diverse range of media, including video and film, drawings, paintings, and installation. His practice, which reinterprets traditional historical narratives, encapsulates concepts of artistic, religious, and transnational identity, grounded in extensive research on history and mythology.

 

Shawky is widely recognized as one of the most significant contemporary artists from the Middle East, renowned for works such as the Cabaret Crusades trilogy (2010–2015), which reenacts the history of the medieval Crusades from an Arab perspective using marionettes; the Al Araba Al Madfuna trilogy (2012–2016), which reimagines myths through performances by child actors; and Drama 1882 (2024), showcased at the Egypt Pavilion of the 2024 Venice Biennale.

 

This exhibition highlights Shawky’s pivotal early video works, including The Cave (Amsterdam) (2005), Al Aqsa Park (2006), and the Telematch series (2007–2009). Addressing themes of East-West dichotomies and religious conflict, these works deliver profound messages through playful and unexpected approaches. While visually contrasting with Shawky’s recent works, they reveal recurring themes and techniques that continue to resonate throughout his practice. In particular, the exhibition explores how entertainment from popular media is employed from various perspectives to examine complex social structures related to politics, religion, and gender.

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Installation Views
  • Wael Shawky, Al Aqsa Park, 2006, video animation, 10 minutes. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, Al Aqsa Park, 2006, video animation, 10 minutes.

     Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Wael Shawky, Telematch Shelter, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 4 minutes 26 seconds. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, Telematch Shelter, 2008, single-channel  video, sound, 4 minutes 26 seconds.

     Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Wael Shawky, The Cave (Amsterdam), 2005, single-channel video, sound, subtitle, 12 minutes 45 seconds. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, The Cave (Amsterdam), 2005, single-channel video, sound, subtitle, 12 minutes 45 seconds.

     Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Wael Shawky, Telematch Sadat, 2007, single-channel video, sound, 10 minutes 34 seconds. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, Telematch Sadat,  2007, single-channel video, sound, 10 minutes 34 seconds.

    Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds.

    Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds. Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

    Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds.

    Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea.

  • Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea. From left to right : Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds. Wael Shawky, Telematch Sadat, 2007, single-channel video, sound, 10 minutes 34 seconds.

    Installation view of Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories, 2025, Barakat Contemporary, Seoul, Korea. 


    From left to right :
    Wael Shawky, Telematch Suburb, 2008, single-channel video, sound, 9 minutes 8 seconds.
    Wael Shawky, Telematch Sadat, 2007, single-channel video, sound, 10 minutes 34 seconds.
Works
  • Wael Shawky Al Aqsa Park, 2006 Runtime 10 minutes Video animation, B/W

    Wael Shawky 

    Al Aqsa Park, 2006 

    Runtime 10 minutes  

    Video animation, B/W

  • Wael Shawky Telematch Shelter, 2008 Runtime 4 minutes 26seconds Single-channel video, sound

    Wael Shawky 

    Telematch Shelter, 2008 

    Runtime 4 minutes 26seconds 

    Single-channel  video, sound

  • Wael Shawky The Cave (Amsterdam), 2005 Runtime 12 minutes 45 seconds Single-channel video, sound, subtitle

    Wael Shawky 

    The Cave (Amsterdam), 2005

    Runtime 12 minutes 45 seconds

    Single-channel video, sound, subtitle

  • Wael Shawky Telematch Sadat, 2007 Runtime 10 minutes 34 seconds Single-channel video, sound

    Wael Shawky 

    Telematch Sadat, 2007

    Runtime 10 minutes 34 seconds 

    Single-channel video, sound

  • Wael Shawky Telematch Suburb, 2008 Runtime 9 minutes 8 seconds Single-channel video, sound

    Wael Shawky 

    Telematch Suburb, 2008

    Runtime 9 minutes 8 seconds 

    Single-channel video, sound

Press
  • KOR | "History translated"... the truth an Egyptian artist has seen

    "역사는 번역된다"…이집트 예술가가 본 진실
    Siwook Ahn, Korea Economy, March 17, 2025
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  • From supermarkets to state funerals: How Wael Shawky reframes history, religion

    Hansol Park, The Korea Times, March 13, 2025
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  • KOR | A Temple that resembles a UFO... Reinterpreting history through culture clash

    UFO 빼닮은 사원… 문화 충돌로 역사 재해석
    Dongmi Park, Culture Daily, March 11, 2025
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  • KOR | "Translating history"...Truth from the view of an Egyptian artist

    "역사는 번역된다"...이집트 예술가가 바라본 진실
    Siwook Ahn, Korea Economy, March 10, 2025
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  • KOR | Egyptian artist, how did he end up reciting 'Islamic scriptures' in a supermarket? [Recent exhibition]

    "이집트 작가, 어쩌다 수퍼마켓에서 ‘이슬람 경전’ 읊게 됐나? [요즘 전시]"
    Jeonga Lee, Herald Economy, March 10, 2025
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  • KOR | Wael Shawky and how to talk about history and myths

    "와엘 샤키가 역사와 신화를 이야기하는 방법"
    Yeoul Jeon, W Korea, March 10, 2025
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  • KOR | From ancient scriptures to supermarkets, there is a 'dream' at the heart of them [A spoonful of inspiration]

    "고대 경전부터 마트까지, 그 중심엔 ‘꿈’이 있다 [영감 한 스푼]"
    Min Kim, Donga Ilbo, March 7, 2025
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  • KOR | Venice Biennale star artist, after pansori, video 'The Cave' shown

    "베니스비엔날레 스타작가, 판소리 이어 꺼낸 영상은 ‘동굴’"
    Youngok Sohn, Kukmin Ilbo, March 5, 2025
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  • KOR | Children Laughing at a Funeral...The History and Events that Wael Shawky Sees

    "장례식에서 웃는 아이들…와엘 샤키가 보는 역사와 사건"
    Seungmin Yoon, Kyeonghan Newspaper, March 5, 2025
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  • KOR | "Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories" about cultural conflicts and exchanges, history and society

    문화충돌과 교류 그리고 역사와 사회에 대한 "와엘 샤키: 텔레마치와 다른 이야기들"
    Jahee Kim, ArtNews, March 4, 2025
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  • KOR | Wael Shawky, the artist who reinterprets history ... Solo exhibition at Barakat Contemporary

    "역사를 재해석하는 작가 와엘 샤키…바라캇컨템포러리 개인전"
    Heegyeong Hwang, Yeonhap News, March 3, 2025
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  • KOR | The man who recites the Quran at a European mart... My self-portrait from 'Civilization Clash'

    유럽 마트서 꾸란 읊는 그 남자… ‘문명 충돌’ 겪던 내 자화상
    Min Kim, Donga Ilbo, March 3, 2025
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  • Artists bring attention to the unnoticed

    Yuna Park, The Korea Herald, March 2, 2025
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  • KOR | "A world of intersection and fusion"… 'Wael Shawky: Telematch and Other Stories'

    "교차하고 융합하는 세계"…'와엘 샤키: 텔레마치와 다른 이야기들
    Jeonghan Kim, News1, February 28, 2025
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Related artist

  • Wael Shawky

    Wael Shawky

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58-4 Samcheong–ro
Jongno–gu, Seoul, Korea

+82 2 730 1949
info@barakat.kr

Tuesday to Sunday
10 am - 6 pm

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