Lawrie Shabibi is proud to present Collision, a solo exhibition by Moataz Nasr, in collaboration with Galleria Continua, San Gimignano / Beijing / Le Moulin.

Nasr’s work engages with the urban surroundings of his native Egypt and translates his observations into a universal language to express human despair and suffering, love and hope. Egypt today faces unprecedented social and political  challenges, navigating between the baggage of its past and its desire to move onto a better future. A complex and  multi-faceted character, Nasr transmits his concerns of social justice, activism and spirituality, through his engagement with the ordinary people in Cairo and by drawing on traditional forms of cultural expression, including  calligraphy, embroidery and Sufi poetry, to explore the relationship of the past to the present.

Using video, installation and sculpture, this exhibition invites the viewer to look within and to meditate on the various strands that make up life in contemporary Cairo and question how, and at what level of consciousness, are we able to transcend the past in order to navigate the present.

Moataz Nasr
Moataz Nasr is a multi-media artist and cultural activist who employs painting, sculpture, photography and video to explore the fragility and complexity of current social, economic and political conditions. Born in Alexandria in 1961,  and currently living in Cairo, Nasr has established himself as one of the leading Egyptian artists of his generation. The  artist has participated in many important international art events, including the Venice Biennale (2003), the Seoul  Biennale (2004), the Sao Paulo Biennale (2004), the Yokohama Triennale (2005), the Canarie Biennale (2008), the  Lubumbashi Biennale (2010), the Thessaloniki Biennale (2011), the Dakar Biennale (2002/2004/2012), the  International Canakkale Biennale (2012) and group events such as Arte all’Arte (San Gimignano, 2004), Africa Remix  (Kunst Palast, Dusseldorf, 2004; Hayward Gallery, London, 2005; Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2005; Mori Art Museum,  Tokyo, 2006; Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, 2007), Ghosts of Self and State (Monash University Museum of  Art, Melbourne, 2006), Machine-RAUM, Vejle Art Museum and Spinning Factory, Vejle, Denmark, 2007/2011;  Traversées (Crossings), Grand Palais, Paris, France, 2008; African contemporary art, Exhibition Center, Algiers, Algeria,  2008; Made in Afrika, National Museum, Nairobi, Kenya, 2008; MidEast Cut, The Danish Film Institute & Backyard  Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2009); Taswir, Islamische Bildwelten und moderne, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin,  Germany, 2008; 21st Century: Art in the first Decade, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia, 2010, Miniatures, 14th Islamic Art Festival, Sharjah Museum, Sharjah, UAE, 2011.

The most recent group shows to which he has contributed in 2012 include: Where is the Time?, Foundation IZOLYATSIA – Platform for Cultural Initiatives, Donetsk, Ucraina, Neon. La materia luminosa dell’arte, MACRO, Rome,  Italy, Arab Express, The Latest Art from the Arab World, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, Par Nature, Centquatre,  Paris, France.

In 2008 Moataz Nasr founded Darb 1718, a non-profit centre for contemporary art and culture located in the Fustat area of Old Cairo, which seeks to encourage experimentation by supporting new works by emerging artists.