Stedelijk Museum to Exhibit Wael Shawky’s 'Drama 1882' Following Venice Biennale Success
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam will show Wael Shawky's video installation Drama 1882 from July 11, 2025, to October 26, 2025. The work examines the 1882 Urabi Revolution and questions of historiography, power, and representation through a libretto and score composed by the artist in classical Arabic. Drama 1882 was first presented at the Egyptian Pavilion during the 60th Venice Biennale and was jointly acquired last year by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Bonnefanten Maastricht, and Centraal Museum Utrecht.
The Signal
The exhibition places Shawky's practice, previously seen at MoMA, Tate Modern, and the Louvre, within a network of Dutch institutions committed to works that interrogate colonial narratives. For curators and collectors the joint acquisition signals sustained institutional support for the artist's method of blending fact, fiction, and opera to address contemporary power structures. The presentation reinforces the Stedelijk's emphasis on large-scale video installations that connect historical events to present-day debates.
- Artists: Wael Shawky
- People: Rein Wolfs
- Museums: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Bonnefanten Maastricht, Centraal Museum Utrecht
- Locations: Amsterdam
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