Ahmed Kamel - Artwork - Monologue-video-still

Ahmed Kamel - Artwork - Monologue-video-still

Ahmed Kamel - Artwork - Monologue-video-still
Monologue-video-still

Monologue
Video and found footage, 4:50 mins, Cairo, 2010

Archival made-for-TV nationalist song clips and dance performances are deliberately combined with everyday urban scenes and abstract sound. The video footage offers a glimpse of a mundane present time and a generic persona, without discernible intent or concrete narrative, creating a striking contrast to the highly intentional gestures of popular nationalist entertainment. While the songs evoke strong nostalgic amusement, they also embody national collective memory and emotional resonance. In contrast, the urban footage appears almost laconic—without from illusions or pretensions.

To watch the video, please contact the artist.

Related exhibition:

  • 2011 “Propaganda by Monuments,” Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt.

Related publications:

  • 2019 “Hanan al-Cinema: Affections for the Moving Image,” by Laura U. Marks, MIT Press, Cambridge, USA.
  • 2011 “Propaganda by Monuments,” by Mia Jankowicz and Clare Butcher, Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt.
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