Venice Biennale Part 3: Egyptian Pavilion honors Ahmed Basiony Artist and Activist 1978-2011

Ahmed Basiony Avant Garde artist

As a direct connection to the popular surge of demand for democracy in the Arab world, the Egyptian pavilion honors young media artist/activist Ahmed Basiony ( 1978 – 2011).

He was brutally murdered in Tahrir Square on January 28^th, 2011 as he was filming the uprisings. The day before he had been beaten, but had decided to return.

Basiony was a radical in his art and his politics. He was a pioneer in experimental digital media, an unusual field in Egypt because of the lack of courses and the lack of resources.  He was also a tireless teacher and crucial inspiration among the younger generation of Egyptian artists

Basiony footage in Tahrir Square and his performance piece

He had been filming for four days in Tahrir Square. His last postings on his facebook page are “Please O Father, O Mother, O Youth, O Student, O Citizan, O Senior and O more. You know this is our last chance for our dignity, the last chance to change the regime that has lasted the past 30 years. Go down to the streets, and revolt, bring your food, your clothes, your water, masks and tissues and a vinegar bottle, and belive me, there is but one very small step left . . . If they want war, we want peace, and I will practice proper restraint until the end, to regain my nation’s dignity.”

In the Egyptian pavilion Basiony’s footage from Tahrir Square alternated with his art work 30 Days Running in Place from a year ago. It shows the artist running in a transparent sweat suit with sensors on the soles of his shoes and his body, that translated into a visual diagram. He did this performance for one hour a day for 30 days. It expresses an incredible frustration and sense of futility. See this discussion about it. Also here is an outstanding  Nafas that gives an overview of all aspects of his career.

30 Days Running in Place

The sense of futility and entrapment in the work, its abstract purpose, contrasts entirely with the alternating images of the crowds in Tahrir Square that he photographed in late January. On the day he was killed, his camera was taken away and has never been recoverd. His body was missing for three days. When it was finally found, it was evident that he had been intentionally shot by a sniper and his body intentionally run over. Many members of the media were killed on the same day.

So the pavilion is dedicated to this young and brilliant artist, we see the idea of his pent up frustration in his Running in Place work, and the idea of action and resistance in the footage from the square. I think his heartfelt call for action explains that he was indeed wanting the government to fall so much, for the future of his children (he leaves behind a young son and a one year old daughter) and for all the children of Egypt. Their goals were realized, the government fell. We hope that the new government will respect the wishes of the young and organized people from all aspects of Egyptian society who brought this about. It is not at all clear that they will.