Wael Shawky's 'Drama 1882' at Venice Biennale 2024 reimagines Egypt's 'Urabi revolt through slow-motion video

At the 2024 Venice Biennale, Egyptian artist Wael Shawky unveiled his 45-minute video titled 'Drama 1882,' which was performed by 150 artists in a historic theater in Alexandria. This piece dramatizes the 'Urabi revolt' that occurred from 1879 to 1882, centering on a violent incident sparked by the killing of a donkey owner by a Maltese individual, resulting in confrontations with British forces and approximately 300 Egyptian fatalities. Shawky, 54, took on the roles of composer, choreographer, and director, utilizing classical Arabic and merging multiple artistic disciplines. He probes whether the cafe altercation was merely coincidental or a British strategy for colonial justification. In a 2024 interview with the New York Times, he prioritized narrative over straightforward truth, featuring sets that resemble sculptures, alongside elements of singing, puppetry, and ironic dialogue.