Contemporary Ruins, Hanya Elghamry
By Laurie
Speaking with multidisciplinary artist, Hanya Elghamry, on her recent projects: Contemporary ruins I and II, and discussing the archive of memories.
Elghamry “addresses themes that are closely linked to the collective consciousness and the origin of memories, attempting to transport the viewer into another world that does not necessarily stand in opposition to their reality, but offers an alternative way of seeing it.”
Contemporary ruins I, by Hanya Elghamry
Laurie: In relation to coming out of lockdown and bring an artist in 2021, what does ‘emerge’ mean to you, post-2020?
Hanya Elghamry: Emerge means becoming, or getting out of a fog-like space. Especially after the past eventful year, where I feel like many of us were in a state of “limbo”; waiting for something to happen or pausing to let this pass and allowing ourselves to move on and become more ourselves when we're finally allowed to.
Contemporary ruins I and II, by Hanya Elghamry
L: ‘Contemporary ruins’ appears in the form of digital paintings and II appears physically as ink prints: How are the two ‘contemporary ruins’ connected, are they different representations of the same place, or something else?
H: Both projects deal with memory and archive, and the possibility of tracking down absences. They are attempts to understand the dynamism between the controlled and the controller in a soft power relationship, through a personal, social and cultural context. Our knowledge and behavior are intrinsically affected by soft power; a concept that emerged, to describe international relations based not on military nor economic might but on influence, by Joseph S. Nye Jr. who defined it as the ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcome one wants. So I've been trying to question my own limited belief system, through the lens of subordination and influence, and how to reclaim that soft power in the form of resistance.
L: What was your inspiration to create ‘Contemporary ruins’?
H: Lately, I've been significantly inspired by Egyptian architecture, especially the demolished buildings in Cairo; the stories behind the people who lived there and their resilience, the reason behind the demolitions and the idea of removing layers to reach the core of the subject.
L: Do you have any upcoming projects planned in the near future?
H: I've been experimenting more and more with Augmented reality, as I want to transport the viewer into another world, that does not necessarily stand in opposition to their reality, but offers an alternative way of viewing it. The new projects explore the boundaries of our surrounding spaces, physically and virtually, to overcome spatial limits that we often foster consciously.
Contemporary ruins II, by Hanya Elghamry
You can find Elghamry’s work on her instagram @hanyaelghamry and website www.hanyaelghamry.com