Wael Shawky is considered one of the most important contemporary artists in the Middle East. With a focus on films, he has presented works with narratives where fact and fiction intermingle and existing historical narratives are questioned and reconstructed.
The starting point of Al Araba Al Madfuna III is Shawky’s personal experiences of visiting the ancient village of the same name. Having witnessed the locals dig the ground in search of hidden treasures and seek to unearth their ancestors’ secrets through alchemy and spiritual activities, Shawky overlays this mysterious experience with the contents of “Sunflowers,” written by Mohamed Mustagab, to reconstruct the narrative as a dreamlike film. This work portrays the dystopic world of a village where tradition has faded away, weaving together history and fiction, documentation and experience, archeology and imagination. Al Araba Al Madfuna III is a beautiful lyric poetry that unfolds the narrative of contradiction and pain.

Collection of the Ulsan Art Museum