This was the first exhibition for newcomer Heba Ragab. ©Simba Russeau 2011 Egypt
Professional and amateur artists were brought together Sunday night at the Townhouse Gallery in Downtown Cairo showcasing a fusion of sculpture, paintings, video and photographic arts. The group exhibition, dubbed ‘The Popular Show,’ was an exhibition experiment that allows for a participatory and collective definition of the gallery space by the public.
Curated by Sarah Rifky/CIRCA in collaboration with Townhouse Gallery, ‘The Popular Show’ offered Egyptian artists the opportunity to show their work, or works in their collection, within a contemporary art context.
According to organizers, the exhibition was a response to the exclusivity that is practiced within contemporary art institutions, towards what art is. By allowing the collective to determine the content of the show through the works submitted and by displaying a variety and excess of works of art, organizers were able to emphasize the importance of not distinguishing between high and low art, art and non-art, serious and pop-art.
