Sameh Al Tawil - The Monograph

Immerse yourself in the groundbreaking artistic vision of Sameh AL Tawil, the renowned Egyptian-German multimedia artist whose work transcends conventional boundaries of medium and expression. Written by distinguished art critic Fatma Ali, with a foreword by celebrated artist Khaled Hafez, this comprehensive monograph offers an unprecedented exploration of AL Tawil's remarkable 25-year artistic evolution.

"Sameh Al Tawil : The Monograph" takes readers on a fascinating journey through AL Tawil's development from his early paintings and sculptural works in Egypt to his complex digital installations incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence in Germany and around the world. As an artist who defies categorization, AL Tawil creates art that provokes profound questions about identity, migration, Neo slavery, technology, and human dignity through painting, photography, live performance, conceptual music, text, and sound.

This definitive volume meticulously analyzes AL Tawil's most significant projects, including "Cupboard", "Slavery Documents," "Clockwise," "Chaos," and "Ready to Go," revealing how his transmedia approach challenges our understanding of reality itself. Ali's insightful critique illuminates how AL Tawil's work embodies philosophical concepts from thinkers like Baudrillard, gille deleuze, jacques derrida, among others, while remaining deeply personal and emotionally resonant.

Readers will discover how AL Tawil's unique position as an artist navigating between Egyptian and German cultures has shaped his artistic vision, allowing him to create work that speaks to universal human experiences while addressing pressing contemporary issues. His innovative integration of music, performance, and digital technology creates immersive experiences that transform how we perceive and interact with art.

"Sameh Al Tawil : The Monograph" is essential reading for art historians, collectors, students, and anyone interested in the evolution of contemporary art at the intersection of traditional practice and cutting-edge technology. This definitive study not only documents AL Tawil's significant contribution to the global art landscape but also provides a framework for understanding the future of multimedia artistic expression in our increasingly digital world.

Author Biography - Fatma Ali

Fatma Ali is a distinguished Egyptian art critic and researcher, specializing in visual arts and contemporary art in Egypt and the Middle East. She has served as a critic and managing editor in prominent magazines and newspapers, held significant positions, and participated in numerous jury panels for major art exhibitions. In 2007, she was appointed as the curator for contemporary Egyptian art in Dubai. Her career bridges in-depth critical analysis with both local and international art studies.

Renowned for her distinctive critical voice, she is celebrated for her ability to uncover the hidden layers of artistic experiences in a uniquely insightful manner. She was awarded the Egyptian State Incentive Award for Art Criticism in 2009 and has authored several influential critical books, including her work on the renowned Egyptian artist Hamed Nada, as well as a philosophical critique of the works of contemporary painter Samir Fouad.

This book represents the culmination of years of academic engagement with the artistic project of Sameh Al Tawil.

Artist Biography - Sameh AL Tawil

Sameh AL Tawil is an acclaimed Egyptian-German multimedia artist whose innovative work spans visual art, photography, installation, Live performance, new media, and sound. Born in 1978 in the historic Al-Imam Al-Shafi'i neighborhood of Cairo, AL Tawil's artistic journey began at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Cairo, where he studied painting under the artist Abubaker Al Nawawy and got a major in sculpture between 1995 and 2000.

Following his graduation, AL Tawil pursued further studies at the historic Academy of Fine Arts (ADBK) in Munich, Germany, where he was mentored by renowned artists including Olaf Metzel and Bruno Wank. He later studied Media Art Histories at Danube University in Krems, Austria, under the supervision of Professor Oliver Grau.

Over his 25-year career, AL Tawil has created a diverse body of work that explores themes of identity, migration, human rights, technology. His art challenges conventional categorization through its unique integration of traditional techniques with cutting-edge digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

AL Tawil's work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums across Egypt, Germany, Switzerland, UAE and Saudi Arabia. His work has been collected in permanent collection at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, The modern art museum in Egypt, Cairo Opera house.