Hafez’s marvellous works are displayed at Le Lab Gallery in Sheikh Zayed, Cairo.
His latest exhibition started in June and continues until 24 August, featuring paintings, sculptures, art objects, and pieces of furniture.
It reveals the mythical protagonists of ancient Egypt associated with superheroes in many contexts, evoking current political and daily life events with irony and creativity.
The current display is part of his large project “The Illustrated History of the Mundane,” which he started working on in 2019 and continues to develop its many segments.
"It is a project with several parts sharing the same title. The first one saw light in 2020 with street photographs taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly captured by a mobile phone. They carried the title of Cement Cities,” Hafez said.
“The second and third parts were spatial installations called The Cave and The Realities of Granada. They were presented, in cooperation with the lab, in alternative spaces, such as Granada in Heliopolis. The fourth part, The Military-Industrial Complex, combining photography and collage with recycled cardboard papers was presented in the extension room in Stockholm, Sweden. It was then exhibited at the Moderna Museum in Malmö, Sweden, thus constituting the fifth part of the project,” he clarified.
As for Laboratory Function Tests, Hafez alludes to playing on words. It evokes the gallery’s name Le Lab (a laboratory of experiences) founded to break down the barriers between art and design and provide a platform for experimentation and exploration, fed by Hafez’s former training as a physician.
In his exhibition, Hafez mixes many elements, including contradictory ones. It is a process similar to alchemy, where the seemingly banal matter is transformed into something precious.
Irony dominates
The four paintings titled Once Upon a Time in Eden fuse Western superheroes and omnipresent characters with Egyptian culture: Batman wearing an Anubis mask, women in heels posed like Queen Nut, gladiators with wings, and so on.
Several canvases hint at the American propaganda in the media, revealing Hafez’s sense of humour and highly critical mind.
“Irony guides me in all of my artistic creations. It is a hallmark quality of Egyptians, as they ridicule everything,” Hafez explained.
In his paintings, he imagines a deceptive Eden where American models or those of Western culture constitute the dream example one aspires to.
However, Hafez’s merging of ancient Egypt’s characters and gods makes us question the entire history of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Bronze sculptures, wooden furniture
Symbols from ancient Egyptian culture remain present in his furniture designs and bronze sculptures.
The exhibition showcases eight sculptures, including two made in his studio based on the script of All Time Idlers film, written in 2003, which was never released due to lack of funds.
The artist initially conceptualized exhibited furniture 20 years ago in his studio as prototypes.
“In my interdisciplinary practice, art, functional design, graphic design, craftsmanship, and architecture result from the creative mind. There is no difference between art and design,” the artist explained.
Some art objects have undergone mummification, such as a sceptre, a glass of water, a bottle, scissors, and a pistol. They are wrapped in beige linen bandages.
Objects referring to Hafez’s previous projects add more details to the mythical atmosphere of yesteryear.
Ridiculing the Arab Spring
Two animated videos present a comedic and satirical approach to the Arab Spring.
Screened at the gallery's entrance, the 2-minute Kartonopolis presents a cardboard world in which Hafez summarizes the history of the Arab Spring.
The music of Farid Al-Atrash situates his film well in a context linked to Egypt and the Arab world.
Kartonopolis is a critical reflection on the promises of the Arab Spring.
The second animated film Spring Affair is projected on two screens above each other.
The two films are projected simultaneously; however, we notice a certain lag on the lower screen and a distortion on the upper one.
Then, we hear Soad Hosni's 1970s song celebrating spring: "The world is in spring, it's beautiful ...."
The soldiers are still doing their rhythmic and mechanical march, and birds take the shape of warplanes.
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The exhibition continues until 24 August. Le Lab Gallery is open daily (except Mondays) from 3 pm to 10 pm at the Walk of Cairo (WOC), Sheikh Zayed, Cairo.
Longer format of this article was originally published in Al-Ahram Hebdo, in French. Translation to English: Ati Metwaly. Additional edit: Ahram Online
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