is an interdisciplinary artist and a digital media designer.
Shabana’s work is situated in the intersection of technology with Islamic philosophy, mythology and studies of human cognition. In his works, he explores concepts such as system-social dynamics, religious performative rituals and occult practices, by means of poetry, simulation, science fiction and speculative scenarios. Examining how different technologies are interweaving these concepts producing/reproducing entangling structures between myth, fiction, and physical realities. Within such complex intersectional realms, the digital medium is emphasizing the shift in cognitive processes, oscillating the human experience and imagination between reality and hyperreality, human and non-human, physical and mental spaces.
He holds a BA in Visual Arts from the American University in Cairo, and an MA in Digital Media Design from University of the Arts, Bremen. Shabana’s Master thesis was a theoretical manifesto titled "The Digital Image As A Transcendental Medium: A Manifesto on relating the digital image to the mental image through the field (Barzakh) of imagination in Ibn Arabi’s philosophy". His Master project was developing a platform that generates and manipulates audio/visual content using the EEG readings of the brain.
Shabana designed educational curricula and taught Media Arts and Design in non-formal alternative academic programs and workshops. He formally taught Intercation Design and Speculative Design in the Faculty of Applied Sciences And Arts in the German University in Cairo.
In 2013 Shabana founded Alchem Studio, a studio that works in the intersection of art, design and technology. Alchem Studio until now is a pioneering entity in the scene of Audio/Visual arts and Interaction Design. The studio develops its own breakthrough technology of building multi-sensors system solutions, to produce large scale interactive installations.
In 2016, Shabana co-founded Mapping Possibilities, a platform and a festival focusing on Audio/Visual performance practices in Egypt. Mapping Possibilities connects visual artists and media designers to music producers and sound artists to collaborate on Audio/Visual projects. The platform focuses on giving new emerging practitioners the opportunity to show advanced technological experimentations on visual and sound production. Throughout 5 years of organising one night events with more than 20+ A/V performances shown in different cultural spaces, as well as Cinema Zawya as major partner. Later to program a festival in 2019 with a wider range of activities such as educational workshops and panel discussions exploring the fields and the technologies of image and sound.
Shabana’s work has been featured in exhibitions shown in Townhouse gallery in Cairo, The Hellenic Cultural Center in Alexandria, Le18 in Marrakech, CCA Glasgow, Kunsthal Aarhus in Aarhaus, Mucem in Marseille, Villa Romana in Florence, Cittadellarte in Biella, Onasis Air in Athens, The Mosaic Rooms in London, Iwalewahaus in Bayreuth, Halle 14 in Leipzig, Berlin Art Week 2014, and Cairotronica festival in Cairo. Audio/Visual performances featured in Boiler Room, Sónar Festival in Barcelona, Rawabet Theatre in Cairo, VCU arts Qatar in Doha, The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Theater am Goetheplatz in Bremen, HAU Theatre as part of CTM festival in Berlin.
CV
Education/Scholarships
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Master of Arts in Digital Media Design, University of The Arts, Bremen (HFK), September 2018.
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Rosa Luxemburg Scholarship: International MA Students award, Winter 2015.
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Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Visual Arts, the American University in Cairo, June 2013.
Grants/Awards
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Artist Grant, Mophradat 2021.
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Critical Narratives Program, Art Grant, ASI-REM: Arab Studies Institute, Summer 2019.
Publications
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The Digital Image As A Transcendental Medium: A Manifesto (MA Thesis), Published in “Reading & Writing. 25 Manifestos: Issue 3.”, MaroVerlag, Augsburg, March 2020.
Residencies/Workshops
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Caravan Residency Program: Thinking with Alexandria. 2021 - 2022.
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In Nights of The Absolute: On Digital Colonialism, storytelling, and rituals, Morehshin Allahyari, Summer 2021.
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The Ghosts in The Machine, Behna El Wekala, online, Summer 2021.
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Forgotten Enlightenments, Halle 14, Leipzig, Winter 2019.
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Music Maker’s Hack-lab, CTM Festival, Berlin, Winter 2018.
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Spaces, Iwalewahaus, Bayreuth, Summer 2017.
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Spaces, Städtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Delmenhorst, Summer 2016.
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Social Security, Townhouse gallery, Cairo, Spring 2013.
Performances
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Stop/Reverse/Loop/Speed: lecture performance, Halle 14, Forgotten Enlightenments, Leipzig, Winter 2019.
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YuMi Light Painting, A/V Performance using YuMi Collaborative Robot, ABB Egypt headquarters, Fall 2018.
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NaN, The man who never told a lie: AI, A/V Performance, HAU3 Theatre, CTM Festival, Berlin, Winter 2018.
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Delta3: A/V Performance, Iwalewahaus, Bayreuth, Summer 2017.
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Delta3: A/V Performance, RNCM - Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Summer 2017. C31S39: A/V Performance, MASAFAT, Boiler Room, Cairo, Summer 2016.
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C31S39: A/V Performance, Städtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Delmenhorst, Summer 2016. C31S39: A/V Performance, Mapping Possibilities II, Falaki Theatre, Cairo, Summer 2016.
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Mirage: Semi Holographic Cube: Projection Mapping Installation, Oshtoora Festival, Fayoum, Summer 2016.
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C31S39: A/V Performance, Mapping Possibilities, Makan, Cairo, Winter 2016.
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My Home, My Rules: Multimedia Dance Performance, At Home In The House, HFK Bremen, Summer 2015.
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Love Is A Muscle: A/V, Stage Performance, Theater of Bremen, Bremen, Winter 2014.
Exhibitions
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The Geomorphosis Cycle: The Wet Knowledge at Nabi Daniel, Hellenic Cultural Center, Alexandria, Fall 2021.
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Hence We Abandoned The Garden, Thinking There Is No Heaven: Text, video, 3D scans/renders, Online exhibition, Sumac Space, Summer 2021.
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Untilted.gif (reshow), What do you mean, Here we Are?, The Mosaic Room, London, Summer 2018.
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Talsam, Practicing Protection and Metaphysical Safety: Generative, Interactive, Arduino Installation, Cairotronica, The Arts Palace, Cairo Opera House, Summer 2018.
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Architecture Of Memory: Hilde Marx, VR installation, Iwalewahaus, Bayreuth, Summer 2017.
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Architecture Of Memory: Arthur Fitger, Video installation, Städtische Galerie Delmenhorst, Delmenhorst, Summer 2016.
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Spirit Unit II: VR Installation, Cairotronica: Egyptian Electronic and New Media Arts Symposium, The Arts Palace, Cairo Opera House, Cairo, Summer 2016.
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Spirit Unit I: VR Installation, Roznama Art Contest, Medrar For Contemporary Arts, Cairo, Summer 2015.
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Spaces: A/V installation, Cat Cologne, Cologne, Summer 2015.
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breaTHING: Post-internet, Projection Mapping, PROFIT | PROPHET (Berlin Art Week 14), St.-Johannes-Evange list-Kirche, Berlin, Fall 2014.
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The Nymphaeum: A/V Installation, Townhouse gallery, Cairo, Spring 2013.
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Walk Through: Post-internet, Blink II, Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo, Spring 2013.
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Detect Me!: Interactive installation, Di-Egy, Cairo Digital Festival, Gezira Art Centre, Cairo, Spring 2013.
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Walk Through: Post-internet, Blink, The Sharjah Art Gallery, Cairo, Spring 2013.
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Zen Beach: Projection Installation: IRL, Townhouse gallery, Cairo, Fall 2012.
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Untilted.gif: Post-internet, The Pick, Townhouse gallery, Cairo, Summer 2012.
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Graduation project, Memory “Zakirah”: Drawing, Injecting ink on paper, Senses, Sharjah Art Gallery, Cairo, Spring 2012.
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X=body, Y=floating, Z=distance: Game art, Projection Installation, Parallel Visions, Darb 17 18, Fall 2011.
- Untitled: Video, Projection Installation, Tracing Visions, Sharjah Art Gallery (AUC), Cairo, Spring 2011.