At the opening of the Venice Biennale, conversations centred on the length of the queue to enter the Egyptian Pavilion. People were happy to wait an hour, even two: such was the buzz around Shawky’s video installation Drama 1882. The 45-minute work operatically told the story of the Urabi revolt, the nationalist uprising in the Khedivate of Egypt that ended British imperialism and French influence within the country, with actors (including a donkey) moving through candy-pink sets. Another new work by Shawky, I Am Hymns of the New Temples, debuted concurrently at Venice’s Museo di Palazzo Grimani. Made in collaboration with Pompeii Archaeological Park and developed from extensive archival research, the artist’s film delved into Greek mythology, specifically probing how myths are disseminated. The New Temples film is also included in his show outside of Italy, the Daegu Art Museum in South Korea holding a collection of his installations, films and sculpture, as well as a new film, Love Story (2024), connecting his host country to myths in Egypt and Pompeii. An upcoming show in Seoul early next year at the Barakat Contemporary will complement this with a selection of older works that feature his trademark balance of light-hearted means to depict weighty subjects.

Drama 1882 was the first of Shawky’s work to make use of professional actors, having in the past retold political events using children and puppets. His presence in Venice is a culmination of a body of work that has long playfully picked at colonial pasts and violent events, recasting history as a kind of myth. MASS Alexandria, the independent art school Shawky previously ran, may have gone dormant, but such energies will be put to use in his new role as artistic director of Qatar Museums’ Fire Station, as was announced last month: in addition to developing the artist residency programme, Shawky said he intends turn the space into an educational platform.