+99 FREE ART OBJECTS

29th of Oct. Till 27th of Nov.

In this exhibition, Ahmed Shawky Hassan explores the transformations that have affected visual memory between the era of the nation-state and that of the digital knowledge society, by reflecting on the relationship between memory and power in the transfer of knowledge from national encyclopedias to transnational digital archives.

Through collages sourced from the Encyclopedias of World Art supervised by Tharwat Okasha, Egypt’s Minister of Culture in the 1960s, and 3D-printed sculptures derived from open online archives, the narratives of national enlightenment intersect with the algorithmic logic of the market where the artwork is replaced by the model, memory by data, and beauty by consumption.

The project juxtaposes two temporalities: one that dreamt of defining the “universal” through culture, and another that reproduces the world as tradable data.

+99 Free Art Objects stands at this ambiguous threshold between free knowledge and cognitive capitalism, exploring a present in which collective visual imagination is reshaped according to the logic of replication and recycling.

Contributors to the Production of this Exhibition:

Islam Ali – Digital Fabricator and Technical Manager at Arab Digital Expression Foundation (ADEF) , Mohamed Hamada – Exhibition Installation , Malak El Baroudy – Exhibition Visual Identity Design , Mohamed El Dakhakhny – Exhibition Text Editor , Sara M. Hamdi – Gallery Program Coordinator and Website Developer at Cairo Gallery , Yara Hatem – Gallery Program Manager at Cairo Gallery , Hassan Hussein – Technical Assistance and Logistical Support at Cairo Gallery.

Production and Execution:

3D printing and wood engraving were carried out at the ADEF Digital Fabrication Lab, Cairo.

Inkjet printing was produced at Kulturbüro, Zurich, and Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo. Framing was completed at Zakaria Khalaf Workshop, Cairo.

This exhibition was made possible with the generous support of:

Arab Digital Expression Foundation (ADEF) , Cairo Gallery , Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council

Acknowledgments (in no particular order):

Aya Alaa – Mahmoud Hamdi – Nadia Mounir – Islam Ali – Asya Ahmed Shawky – Mohamed El Masry – Ahmed El Halawany – Motaz Ahmed – Mohamed Mokbel – Yara Hatem – Mohamed El Dakhakhny – Julian Burkhard.

Artist: Ahmed Shawky Hassan