12th Cairo Biennale

The 12th Cairo Biennale takes place in two main venues, the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art and the Art’s Palace at the Gezira Fair Grounds, and is organized by commissionaire-general Ehab el-Labban. The show does have a guest-of-honour, the artist Yoshitomo Nara, who was given a small exhibition, and a blue-ribbon jury committee (Rosa Martinez, Fumio Nanjo, George King, Gerardo Mosquera, Fulya Erdemci, others).

The jury awarded several prizes, including a top prize of 100,000 Egyptian pounds—about $20,000—to Amal Kenawy, an Egyptian woman artist who won with a room installation, a kind of kitchen with several videos, including tape of a street happening and a party for her son.

ARTISTS

ALI HASSAN, Qatar

Ali Hassan / Courtesy of the artist

1956 Ali Hassan was born in Doha.
1972 worked as a calligrapher at a local newspaper.
1982 studied history at Qatar University. 1984 He attended a workshop by the Arabic & Islamic. Restoration Legacy at the University of Lovan in Belgium.
1986 attended a specialized course in graphic arts in Cairo.
2004 - 2008 was Chairman of the Youth Creative Art Centre and Chairman of the Girl’s Creativity Art Centre, both in Doha.

Ali’s work has been exhibited worldwide: Doha, New York, Dubai, Zurich, Houston, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bonn, Amman, Korea, Kuwait, Egypt.

MOUNIR FATIMI, Marocco

Mounir Fatmi / Courtesy of the artist

Mounir Fatmi was born in Tangiers, Morocco in 1970. He graduated in Fine Arts in Casablanca in 1989 and in Rome in 1991. He currently lives and works in Paris, France. Mounir Fatmi’s work has been exhibited worldwide, like at the Migros Museum für Gegenwarskunst, Zürich, Switzerland, the Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, Germany, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan.He has also participated in several biennials amongst which: the Gwangju Biennale, Korea, the 2nd Sevilla Biennale, Spain, the 8th Sharjah Biennale, United Arab Emirates, the 52nd Venice Biennale, Italy, the 10th Lyon Biennale, France, the Cuvée Biennale, Linz, Austria.

NEDIM KUFI / Iraq

Nedim Kufi / Courtesy of the artist

1962 Born in Bagdad .
1985 BA Etching , fine Art Institute, Bagdad.
2002 BA Graphic Design, HKu, Utrecht.
2010 Ma design, art EZ, Enschede.
2010 Nominated to take part of Al Jameel Prize V&A Museum,  London - UK.

Nedim’s work has been exhibited worldwide: London, Amsterdam, Kuwait, Houston, Melbourne, Behrain, Istanbul, Berlin, Barcelona, Beirut, Sweden, Amman, Paris, etc.

WALID EL-MASRI, Lebanon

Walid El-Masri / Courtesy of the artist

Born in 1979. The paintings of Lebanese artist Walid El-Masri possess what one critic referred to as the “bravura and technique one rarely finds in the work of someone of his age.” Born in Beirut in 1979, he is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus and has participated in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs at home and abroad, including Europe, Asia and the US. Solo exhibitions at the China International Gallery Expo and Art Hong Kong in 2009, established his popularity with not only Asian collectors but international art lovers. Considered one of the Arab world’s most exciting young talents, he has been given solo shows in Damascus, Dubai and Paris and has been featured in a number of Ayyam’s high profile events such as its competition for emerging artists in 2007 and its “Young Collectors” auction in 2009. The recipient of several awards, he has won prizes at various workshops and contests in Syria.

See all artists: http://www.cairobiennale.gov.eg/12/Artists.htm