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Hazem El Mestikawy | Juxtaposition Catalogue

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In the sculptural installations and wall objects of Egyptian-born, Vienna-based visual artist Hazem El Mestikawy, juxtaposition creates technically elaborate and thematically engaging works. With flawless precision and a geometric complexity, El Mestikawy carefully overlaps and arranges different sections or modules and ultimately locks or glues them together – like a puzzle – to create a homogeneous unity. Architectural in forms, El Mestikawy’s creations entwine thought and form and use a variety of inspirations from the artist’s heritage such as the most fundamental principle of Sufism of unity in multiplicity. Geometric forms as well as letters or numbers are repeated symmetrically to form patterns and provide the impression of infinity, abstraction and purity. The notion of meditative process, repetition and time, as also found in Islamic art and architecture and ancient Egyptian art, is a constant guiding spirit.

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Juxtaposition is the act of positioning two or more things side by side or close together as per the Merriam Webster dictionary. In visual arts, juxtaposition entails making the ordinary look extraordinary and represents one of the essen-tial techniques in the Surrealism art movement. For example, overlapping two images together in impossible combinations.

In the sculptural installations and wall objects of Egyptian-born, Vienna-based visual art-ist Hazem El Mestikawy, juxtaposition creates technically elaborate and thematically engaging works. With flawless precision and a geomet-ric complexity, El Mestikawy carefully overlaps and arranges different sections or modules and ultimately locks or glues them together – like a puzzle – to create a homogeneous unity. Archi-tectural in forms, El Mestikawy’s creations en-twine thought and form and use a variety of in-spirations from the artist’s heritage such as the most fundamental principle of Sufism of unity in multiplicity. Geometric forms as well as letters or numbers are repeated symmetrically to form patterns and provide the impression of infinity, abstraction and purity. The notion of meditative process, repetition and time, as also found in Is-lamic art and architecture and ancient Egyptian art, is a constant guiding spirit.

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Because they are made out of cardboard, news-paper, recycled paper or printed-paper and glue, each piece looks simple and fragile, masculine and feminine, divine or human. Yet each recur-rent structure is both complex and solid demon-strating the significance of the scientific process he invented and mastered. Requiring meticulous precision and intensive labor to consolidate, his intricate process, based on physics and math-ematics, takes conventional sculpture to a level difficult to imitate. His signature media of card-board and paper provides a mental platform for viewing from either of two perspectives, strong or light, massive or fragile. This coexistence or duality is particularly tangible in the two series displayed in Hazem El Mestikawy’s first solo ex-hibition Juxtaposition at ArtTalks.

In the first series, El Mestikawy explores the key highlights of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. In ‘18 Days’, the artist refers to the number of days the protests lasted in Tahrir Square, from the day the revolution erupted until the day Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign, symbolized in the 18 units that create a dome or the square. In ‘White’, El Mestikawy choses the date of Mubarak’s resig-nation on February 11, 2011, playing with the numbers where coincidentally, the year 2011 can be read backward as 1102. Finally, ‘Al Horriya Panel 4’ and ‘Behind The Back’ reference one of the three demands that stirred the 2011 revolu-tion – Freedom.

In his second series inspired by the Islamic tra-dition of calligraphy, the works ‘I Am The Other’, ‘Aequalis’, ‘Viewpoint’ and ‘La #3’ are a contin-uation of his exploration of the importance and meaning of letters. With 2 or 3 Arabic letters, El Mestikawy playfully deals with identity and gen-der. Ana (I) / howa (he) / heya (she) / Hor (free masculine) / Hora (Free feminine) represent a contemporary and minimal calligraphy he has created over the years, rooted in history, to pro-vide a continuity from past to present and a de-bate on where to go from here.

In both series, El Mestikawy seeks to create min-imalist work in reduced forms yet rich in layers of meaning. He gives the viewer an opportunity for contemplation and reflection that ultimately everything should fit together in the end. Hazem El Mestikawy was born in Egypt in 1965. He lives and works between Vienna, Austria and Cairo, Egypt. His installation, Nine A Letters, was acquired by the North Carolina Museum of Art. His work, Patent Pattern, won the grand prize at the thirteenth Asia Art Biennale in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2008. In 2011, El Mestikawy was shortlisted in the prestigious Jameel Art Prize, launched by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, for contemporary art and design in-spired by Islamic tradition. Finally, in 2014-15, El Mestikawy’s Alif Beh installation has been ac-quired and is now part of the collection of the un-der-construction Jameel Museum in Dubai, UAE.

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Born in 1965 in Egypt.Lives and works between Vienna and Cairo.

2015VISUAL UTTERANCE Cube Arts Gallery, Dubai - UAE.AGENDA Alexandria Bibliotecha, Egypt.

2014Calligraphical Spaces, Solo exhibition, Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, Amer-ican University of Sharjah- UAE.Museum Orth an der Donau – Haus der Kunst Baden – Ziersdorf – Neulengbach-Wien - Austria.Calligraphical Spaces, Solo exhibition, Sharjah Expo, Sharjah-UAE.Verses & Impressions - Al Markhya Gallery, Doha - Qatar.Timeless Signs Austrian Culture Center, London - GB.KO_OP Salon 69 basis wien, Vienna - Austria.Silver Jubilee of the Youth Salon - Palace of Arts, Cairo - Egypt.Jameel Museum collection - Dubai-UAE.

2013Egyptian Art Today, AB Gallery, Luzern-Switzerland.Transparency as an artistic topic, Oxyd Art Spaces, Winterthur-Switzerland.2nd Jameel Prize, short list artists exhibition, San Antonio Museum of Art, South Texas - USA.drawing! drawing!, k/haus-Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna-Austria. . Transalpin- artists from Vienna, sihlquai55 visarte Zürich-Switzerland. . art/fabric - material/materiality, basement Wien, Vienna-Austria.

2013Transparency as an artistic topic, Oxyd Art Spaces, Winterthur-Switzerland.2nd Jameel Prize, short list artists exhibition, San Antonio Museum of Art, South Texas - USA.drawing! drawing! , k/haus-Künstlerhaus Wien, Vienna-Austria.

20122nd Jameel Prize, short list artists exhibition, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris-France and Casa Arabe, Madrid-Spain.Structure & Immateriality, Kunstverein Kärnten/Art Society Carinthia, Klagenfurt-Austria. Hazem El Mestikawy & Jos van der Beek, AB Gallery Zurich-Switzerland.Supercluster - Cerveau Morille, CAN Art Center, Neuchâtel-Switzerland.2nd Jameel Prize, short list artists exhibition, Arts Centre in Stanford University California (December 2012 - March 2013).

2011Oesterreich ist schoen, oder?, book project / Swiss in Austria, AGENDA 2011, Alexandria Bibliotheca Gallery, Alexandria-Egypt.Still Vaild, Contemporary Egyptian Art, Sharjah Art Gallery - AUC, Cairo-Egypt. .Jameel Prize, short list artists exhibition, Victoria & Alberts museum, London-UK.Paper x Paper, Gallery Almarkhiya, Doha-Qatar. .Line, Gallery Atrium ed Arte, Vienna-Austria.Shokoul, Solo exhibition, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah-UAE.

2010AGENDA, Alexandria Bibliotheca Gallery, Alexandria-Egypt.Why Not?, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.3rd Kokaido Art Show, Iwate Prefecture Civic Centre, Morioka, Iwate-Japan. Tapetenwechsel, Vienna-Austria.The Last Book, National Library, Zurich-Switzerland.Land of the Hyperreal, Contemporary Egyptian Art, Memorial Jose Martì Revolution Square, Center City, Havana-Cuba.10.10.10, 10 Artists and the blue miracle, Gallery VorOrt, Vienna-Austria.

2009Alif-Beh, Solo exhibition, Galerie Atrium ed Arte, Vienna-Austria.Modulus, Oxyd Art Spaces, Winterthur-Switzerland.Shoes Or No Shoes, Museum collection, Kruishoutem-Belgium.

2008From Athens to Marseille to Cairo, Palais des Arts, Marseille-France. Aesthetics and Science, Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna-Austria.North Carolina, Museum of Art, Purchase to the Collection, Raleigh, NC-USA. Grand Prize of the 13th Asia Art Biennale, Dhaka-Bangladesh.The Last Book, National Library of Argentina, Buenos Aires.

2007Baggage, Alexandria Atelier, Alexandria-Egypt. Occidentalism - Contemporary artists from Egypt, curator Karim Francis, Cairo-Egypt. 40th Krastal International Stone Sculpture symposium / world pool seminar, Carinthia-Austria. What’s Happening Now?, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.

2006Type Faces - raumimpuls, Waidhofen/Ybbs Museum, Austria. Artists for Lebanon, Gallery Ebdaa, Cairo-Egypt.UND +, Gallery Atrium ed Arte, Vienna-Austria.

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20055 study-rooms, Oxyd Art Spaces, Winterthur-Switzerland.Equal spaces, Solo exhibition, Gallery Atrium ed Arte, Vienna-Austria.1st Salon of Sculpture, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.Trap-Labyrinth, NÖ-Documentation Center of Modern Art, St. Pölten-Austria. Image AND Letters, Gallery Atrium ed Arte, Vienna-Austria.

2004Hausruck - International Sculpture Symposium, Upper Austria. Between two trains - Art out of the suit-case, Art Museum Olten-Switzerland.Winter-exhibition No.5, Art-Box /Kunstkasten, Winterthur-Switzerland.

20039 Three dimensional works, Solo exhibition, ESPACE Karim Francis, Cairo- Egypt. Cairo Atelier Salon, Cairo-Egypt.The National Exhibition, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.

20023rd International stone sculpture Symposium Mattighofen,Collection of the Town, Schalchen / Mattighofen-Austria.Contemporary Egyptian Art, Beijing-China.25 Years Ekhnaton Galleries, Center of Arts, Cairo-Egypt9 Three dimensional works, Solo exhibition, Gallery ge, Winter-thur-Switzerland.

20016th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, Collection of Aswan International Open Air Museum, Aswan-Egypt.8th Cairo International Biennale, Cairo-Egypt.Modern Egyptian Art, International Festival Sarajevo-Bosnia.Contemporary Egyptian Art, Egyptian Art Academy, Rome-Italy.The National Exhibition, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.20005th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, Aswan-Egypt,Collection of the Cultural Development Fund, Egypt. Contemporary Egyptian Art, Nicosia-Cyprus.10th Border Crossing Sculpture Symposium, Plasy-Czech Republic, Collection of the Town.

1999Salon’ 99 - Boswil Documentary Salon, Kunsthaus Aarau-Switzerland.Sculpture Today, Gallery Marie-Louise Wirth, Hochfelden / Zürich-Switzerland.Tin Sculpture, with Sobhy Guirguis & Sherief Abdel Badie, ESPACE Karim Francis, Cairo-Egypt.Contemporary Egyptian Art, Haus 3 GTZ, Eschborn-Germany.

Grand Prize of Installation, 11th Salon for youth, Palace of Arts – Na-tional Center of Fine Arts, Collection of Museum of Egyptian Modern Art, Cairo-Egypt.Sculpture Compositions, with Barbara Graf - Center of Arts (Ekhnaton Galleries), Cairo-Egypt.The National exhibition, Palace of Arts, Cairo-Egypt.Annual Salon for Miniature Art, Center of Arts - National Center of Fine Arts, Cairo-Egypt.

1998Solo exhibition, ESPACE Karim Francis, Cairo-Egypt..10th Salon of youth, Center of Arts, (Ekhnaton Galleries), Cairo-Egypt.Exhibition with Assem Sharaf, A.A.I. Karl Strobl Gallery, Vienna-Austria.

1997First Prize for landscape with arch. Amr Abdel Kawi of El Shorouk City Park, Cairo-Egypt.Gathering, curator Nahed Abou Elnaga, Cairo Atelier, Cairo-Egypt. .Solo exhibition, ESPACE Karim Francis, Cairo-Egypt.Collection of Museum of Egyptian Modern Art, Cairo-Egypt.7th Border Crossing Sculpture Symposium, Volary-Czech Republic, Collection of the Town.Miniature Erotic Art, Aarau-Switzerland.Modern Egyptian Art, Goethe Institute, Alexandria-Egypt.

1996Solo exhibition, ESPACE Karim Francis, Cairo-Egypt..6th Border Crossing Sculpture Symposium, Untergriesbach-Germany, Collection of the City.

1994Solo exhibition, Cairo Atelier, Cairo-EgyptPro Helvetia Artist in residence 6 months, Boswil Culture Founda-tion-Switzerland.Solo exhibition, Gallery Arthouse Boswil - Aargau-Switzerland.

1992The National exhibition, Nile Art Hall, Cairo-Egypt.Sculpture Prize 4th Salon of youth, Nile Art Hall - National Center of Fine Arts, Cairo-Egypt.

19913rd Salon of youth, Nile Art Hall, Cairo-Egypt.Noun Art Gallery, opening exhibition, Heliopolis, Cairo-Egypt.Solo exhibition, Cairo Atelier, Cairo-Egypt.

19891st Salon of youth, Nile Art Hall, Cairo-Egypt.Seven Artists Dialog, Al Sawi Art Hall, Nasr City, Cairo-Egypt.

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White, 11-02-20112012Cardboard and paper 40 x 40 x 10,5 cm

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Aequalis2014Cardboard and paper 23,5 x 23,5 x 47 cm

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I Am The Other2014Cardboard, recycling paper and glue 105 x 105 x 18 cm

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LA # 32014Cardboard, news paper and glue 54 x 45 x 45 cm

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Alhoriya Panel no 42014Cardboard and paper 94 x 119 x 5 cm

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18 Days2013Cardboard and newspaper 70 x 70 x 10 cm

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Empty Transparency2013Cardboard, white paper, recycling paper and glue 2 parts, closed: 64, 5 x 40 x 20,5 cm

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On One’s Way2013Cardboard, recycling paper and glue 92,5 x 39 x 5 cm

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Viewpoint2013Cardboard, black paper, printed paper and glue44 x 89 x 6 cm

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Behind The Back2013Cardboard, black paper, printed paper and glue60 x 60 x 4 cm – 2 parts(each: 30 x 60 x 4 cm)

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Abiyad Aswad Cube2011Cardboard, black paper, white paper, glue and metal wires39, 5 x 39, 5 x 39,5 cm

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Catalogue Publishedon the oCCasion of the show

hazem el MestikawyJuXtaPositionMarch 10th, 2015arttalks | egypt

Coordinators

Cherine ChafikLisa Lounisaynour Zeitoon

Graphic concept& realization

omar Mobarek

Printing

Concorde Press

PHOTOGRAPHY

Barbara Graf

TexTs

Fatenn Mostafa

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8 EL KAMEL MOHAMEd STR. ZAMALEK. CAIRO OPEN dAILY FROM 11AM - 8PMFRIdAY 3 - 8PM [email protected]

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