Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh will present a solo exhibition by Wael Shawky

Starting on June 28, Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh will present a solo exhibition by Wael Shawky, marking their 50th anniversary.

“Wael Shawky’s penetrating film installations explore histories that have shaped our world. Intricately created sets and painted environments become host to exquisitely crafted and costumed characters, who perform versions of history connected to conflicts that continue to rage around us. Across Shawky’s Cabaret Crusades series and the recent Drama 1882 (created for the Egyptian Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024), Shawky reopens the narrative of the series of religious wars known as the Crusades, from an Arab perspective. He also highlights the events leading up to the British occupation of Egypt in 1882, destabilising any singular authority by embracing the irregular, subjective and contradictory accounts that more authentically represent the formation of history.”

By presenting two of Shawky’s large-scale film productions together, the UK premiere of his incisive Drama 1882, numerous glass marionettes and sculptures, alongside drawings and items selected by Shawky from Islamic and Byzantine collections of the University of Edinburgh, the exhibition celebrates an extraordinary artist and his distinctive vision.

The exhibition runs through Sep 28th.

July 10, 2025