Mohamed Allam
Visual artist
Born in Assiut in 1984, Allam studied at the Arts Education Faculty of Helwan University in Cairo.
Allam lives and works in Cairo using different mediums such as video, performance and sound.
He is interested in different forms of performativity, as he playfully creates narratives and interves with existing ones. His work also explores relationships between humans and objects, and the physical environment and context that brings them both together.
He has participated as an artist in numerous events since 2003. Allam is also concerned with art management and has participated in organizing several art events in Cairo. He is a co founder of the Cairo-based artist initiative ” Medrar for Contemporary Art ” which aims at the promotion of contemporary artistic practices of young artists in Egypt.
Education:
B.A, Faculty of Art Education, Helwan University, Cairo 2008.
Solo Shows:
– The contents of the grocery bag, solo exhibition, CIC, 2016, Cairo
– My Nineties, Metro Al Madina Theater, 2013, Beirut.
– My Nineties, The Townhouse Gallery, and Rawabet space, 2013, Cairo.
– M Budget, Audiovisual performance in collaboration with artist Mohamed Abdelkarim, at Kunst Halle Sankt, 2011, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Group exhibitions and shows:
2023
61 Ann arbor film festival, Michigan, USA, March 2023
2022
– Culture and Digital transformation conference, by Dar al-Kalima University, Limassol, Cyprus, June 2022
– Wicklow ScreenDance Laboratory (WSL), Wicklow, Ireland, April 2022
2021
de*sync#10 Audiovisual performance and Installation by Mohammed Allam, Ahmad Kubbara and Mena El Shazly at CIC, Cairo. July 2021.
2020
Fit’ri:na a spontaneous festival in the show window, by philomena+ art & architecture platform, Vienna, Austria, May 2020
BIDEODROMO Internacional Experimental Film and Video Festival, September 2020, Bilbao, Spain
2019
– Raksa Ciné-Danse du Monde, 2019, Paris, France
– 15th Athens Digital Arts Festival, June 2019, Athens, Greece
– Zawya Short Film Festival IV, 2019. Cairo
2017
– Ayam Beirut Al Cinema’iya, Arab film Festival – 9th edition, 2017, Beirut, Lebanon
– 2nd Zawya Short Film Festival, 2017, Cairo
– 29th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, 2016, Marseilles, France
2016
– Shnit International Shortfilmfestival 2016 – Cairo
– Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival 2016, The Rotating Exhibition Room at Tshimologong Precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa
– Cairotronica, Cairo
– Video Art Festival Turku (VAFT) 2016, Turku, Finland
– 2-minutes short film award – 29 by Stuttgarter Filmwinter, at theater rampe, Stuttgarter, Germany.
– Raksa Ciné-Danse du Monde, Paris, France, 2019
2015
– Tokyo Story, Exhibition at TOKAS Hongo, Tokyo, Japan
– Food from the spoon of the world exhibition at MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome, Italy.
– The 18th Japan Media Arts Festival, Tokyo
2014
– Digital Marrakech, Morocco
2012
– Dream City festival, September 2012 Tunis.
– Alternative News Agency at Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, May 2012
– Cairo Documenta 2 a group exhibition at Viennoise hotel, downtown, Cairo January 2012
2011
– Fifteen Ways to Leave Badiou, a book by 15 artists, curated by ACAF, November, 2011, Alexandria.
– “So close in the distance” a video program of young arab video art by Zakharif, curated by Charolotte Bank at EMAF european media art festival, April 2011, Osanbruck, Germany.
– April Ful’s Night Video Program curated by Aida Eltorie at OMCA’s Gallery of California Art, April 2011, California.
– Display at telegraph21.com form 31st Jan to 3rd 2011.
2010
– Screening program curated by ArteEast at Zoom contemporary art fair, 2010 Miami, USA.
– A Survival Guide exhibition curated by Naglaa Samir, Sharjah Gallery, American University in new Cairo, December 2010.
– Hiwar exhibition curated by Khadija Hamdi, Darb 17 18, October 2010, Cairo.
– Land of Hyperreal, exhibition curated by Khaled Hafez – Jose Marti Memorial museum, July 2010, Havana, Cuba.
– Gaza International Festival for Video Art, June 2010, Palestine.
– 2nd AllArtNow Festival, May 2010, Damascus, Syria.
– Hiwar exhibition curated by Khadija Hamdi, Le Violon Bleu Gallery, May 2010, Tunis.
– 100 LIVE electronic music festival, Darb 17 18, May 2010, Cairo
– On Look Films Benefit: Featuring Films from the Middle East at Elastic Art space, curated by On Look Films, May 2010, Chicago.
– The Left Side exhibition curated by Wessam Quraish, Ahmed Shawki Museum, 2010, Cairo.
– Why Not exhibition curated by Mohamed Talaat, Palace of art, February 2010, Cairo.
2009
– (one)self as (an)other video curated by Sarah Rifky for Limited access 2,October 2009, Tehran, Iran.
– Video program by Townhouse gallery Abu Dhabi Art Fair, 2009, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
– The Place, competition and exhibition, Mekias Khan, 2009, Cairo.
– SOLUS Irish/ Arabian’ Avant-Garde’ film tour – Ireland, Film tour organized by Solus Collective shown at:Cork Film Center, CORK, ‘Live@8’ Club, Galwy City, Darklight Film Festival, Dublin , Cobblestone Bar, Dublin, The Joy Gallery and Studios, The Odessa Club, Dublin, ‘Gort-Vibes’ Cinema Club, Gort, Galwa, 2009
2008
– Video program curated by Sherif Awad at Dubai Art Fair, 2008, Dubai, UAE.
– Selection of PhotoCairo 4, Brandts Museum, 2008,Odense, Denmark.
– PhotoCairo 4, The Townhouse Gallery, December 2008, Cairo.
– 100mm Miniature Arts Exhibition, Artellewa, April 2008, Cairo.
– Tales around the Pavement Chapter Two, CIC, January 2008, Cairo.
2007
– Tales around the Pavement unclassified of “Meeting point 5”, CIC, 2007, Cairo.
– PICK 3 exhibition, The Townhouse Gallery, 2007, Cairo.
– Alfanous exhibition, Ahmed Shawky Museum, 2007, Cairo.
– The Baggage exhibition, Alexandria Atelier, 2007, Alexandria.
– 2nd Cairo Video Festival, CIC, 2007, Cairo.
2006
– Roznama, a photography and video exhibition, CIC, December 2006, Cairo.
– 1st Meeting for Image, French Cultural Centre (CFCC), 2006, Cairo.
2005
– 1st Cairo Video Festival, CIC 2005, Cairo.
2nd “Form through Light” exhibition, 2004, Palace of Arts, Cairo.
2004
– 1st and 2nd “Form through Light” exhibition, 2004, Palace of Arts, Cairo.
– 15th, 16th, 17th and 19th Youth Salon exhibition, Palace of Arts, 2004/2008, Cairo.
2003
– 6th and 7th Salon of Small Art Works exhibition, Zamalek Arts Center, 2003, 2004, Cairo.
Awards, Grants:
Production grant of Culture Resource, 2016
Production grant of Young Arab Theater Fund (YATF), 2011
Visual arts grant of The Arab fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), 2010
Sabbatical leave of the Ministry of Culture in Egypt, 2009
1st Prize at the Place: competition and exhibition, Mekias Khan, 2009, Cairo
3rd prize at 17th Youth Salon, Palace of Arts, 2005, Cairo
Honorary prize at the 16th Youth Salon, Palace of Arts, 2004, Cairo
Art residencies and visits:
Institutional Recommendation Program, Tokyo Arts and space, Tokyo, Japan, 2018
International creator residency program, Tokyo Wonder Site, Tokyo, Japan, 2015
Dream City festival, Tunis, 2012
Prohelvetia residency program, St. Gallen, Switzerland 2011
Accented residency program at Ashkal Alawan, Beirut, Lebanon, 2010
Curatorial Works:
Co founder and director of Cairo-based artist initiative Medrar for Contemporary Art, which aims at the promotion of contemporary artistic practices of young artists in Egypt www.medrar.org, also concerned with art management and has participated in organizing several art events in Cairo.
– Medrar’s projects including Roznama and Cairo video festival since 2005.
– External examiner for GUC media design department’s bachelor examinations 2018
– Representing Medrar at Asia Art Space Network – Gwangju,Korea 2017
– Representing Medrar at 6th Human Rights Forum of the Gnaoua & World Music Festival, Essaouira, Morocco, 2017.
– Representing Medrar at Supermarket art fair, Stokholm, Seweden, 2017
– Independent Culture for Democracy Conference – Culture resource, Cairo, 2012.
– Abbara, culture management workshop at Culture resource, Cairo, 2012.
– 4th Informal Meeting, organized by YATF, Marseille, France 2011
– Jury member for the Cologne International Video art Festival CologneOFF VI, Germany 2011.
– Goings On organized by werkproject in collaboration with 89 weeks space, Beirut, 2010
– Co founder and board member of Cairo documenta collective 2010, 2012
– Video workshop at Institute of Multimedia Arts, in collaborate with the artist Nicène Kossentini,Tunis 2010
– March Meeting 2010 organized by Sharjah Art Foundation and ArteEast, Sharjah,UAE.
– “Within the Region” A touring program of a selection of high videos produced by artists from Arab countries, for more details: http://www.cige-bj.com/news_en/09311420B7.html
– Participated in many international conferences and symposiums that contribute to activating the cultural exchange through independent institutions, including:
– The 2009 Informal Meeting, organized by YATF,Alexandria, Egypt
– Organizing committee member of The 1st International Media Art Forum for Youth, Cairo, 2008.
– Established with the writer Mai Elwakil Medrar.tv which is a web-based television channel that covers cultural events in Egypt and the Arab region.
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محمد علام
فنان بصرى