South likes: Basim Magdy at State of Concept, Athens

South likes: Basim Magdy at State of Concept, Athens
Our Shadows Gasped at the Sight of Their Own Multiplying Shadows
State of Concept, Athens, Greece
7 June – 6 September, 2014

Text by 3 137 (Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Kosmas Nikolaou, Paky Vlassopoulou)

For his first solo show in Athens, the Egyptian artist Basim Magdy created the perfect atmosphere for an hypnotism séance: colourful images, silence, slight darkness… The three pieces on display make a triangle, a three dimensional representation of a non-exciting city. One of the showcased videos is about the story of a town, which is in the process of organising the Olympic games. The footage was filmed in many different locations. All the citizens struggle for this and they fail. An uncanny atmosphere is created here, especially by the context: one could say that this city has something in common with Athens. In the other hand this ”failure” could happened anywhere. An aerial photo of a remote island, presented in a light box, is like a witness to a hidden history. The last piece in the show is a slide show that gives the rhythm to this urban ritual. The works and the display, together with the text written by curator Galini Notti create a special atmosphere, or in other words, an interesting introduction to his universe. Basim Magdy’s show not only is an opportunity to rethink the local history but it is also a unique opportunity to create a connection between not very distant regions. For if it is true that Egypt and Greece are separated by just a few kilometres of sea, this show is a very good chance for Athenian audience to come in contact with an artist from a neighbouring region.

http://www.stateofconcept.org/current-exhibitions/item/9-basim-magdy-upcoming-solo-exhibition-the-dent.html