Bassem Yousri

The Art Guide, 2020

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Mixed-media sculptural installations, Magic Eye exhibition with artists Evelyn Ashamallah and Salam Yousri, Shelter Art Gallery, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020

The Art Guide consists of a series of mixed-media sculptural installations investigating questions related to the relationship between art and audience.

I have always asked myself: could a visual artwork make someone laugh out loud? Could it have an effect similar to a comic film or video? What could make a silly joke become an artwork?

To investigate these questions, I began creating a series of meta-installations with the aim of building an interactive and humorous environment. I created an alter ego that comments on each work — the Art Guide. The approach gives me absolute freedom to explore ways of thinking and working I’ve never used before. It can even allow me to make works that go against my own taste, while still asking what that means. Such self-aware works aim to instigate the same level of self-awareness in the viewer.

The Art Guide, 2020
Welcome!
Ink on wall.
Artist-in-residence fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA, 2018.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical (detail)
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical (detail)
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical (detail)
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“If you look through this hole, ladies and gentlemen, you might see something quite magical!”
Something Magical (detail)
Figure 57 × 59 cm, speech bubble 63 × 47 cm, box 70 × 70 × 40 cm. Wood, LED lights, copper peephole, acrylic paint, acrylic ink.
Magic Window exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“This is sublime, ladies and gentlemen! Quite sublime!”
Sublime!
Figure 67 × 70 cm, speech bubble 53 × 32 cm, wooden shape 10 × 4 cm. Wood, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“This is sublime, ladies and gentlemen! Quite sublime!”
Sublime!
Figure 67 × 70 cm, speech bubble 53 × 32 cm, wooden shape 10 × 4 cm. Wood, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, the artist invites us to reconsider our understanding of reality. Could it be a construct of our own imagination?”
Reality is a Construction
Figure 60 × 48 cm, speech bubble 68 × 46 cm, right panel 98 × 53 cm, center panel 130 × 113 cm, left panel 98 × 53 cm. Wood, metal, glass, photographic prints on archival matte paper, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, the artist invites us to reconsider our understanding of reality. Could it be a construct of our own imagination?”
Reality is a Construction (center panel)
130 × 113 cm. Photographic prints on archival matte paper, wood, glass, metal.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, the artist invites us to reconsider our understanding of reality. Could it be a construct of our own imagination?”
Reality is a Construction (left panel)
98 × 53 cm. Photographic prints on archival matte paper, wood, glass, metal.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, the artist invites us to reconsider our understanding of reality. Could it be a construct of our own imagination?”
Reality is a Construction (right panel)
98 × 53 cm. Acrylic paint on wood.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“Here, ladies and gentlemen, the artist invites us to reconsider our understanding of reality. Could it be a construct of our own imagination?”
Reality is a Construction
Figure 60 × 48 cm, speech bubble 68 × 46 cm, right panel 98 × 53 cm, center panel 130 × 113 cm, left panel 98 × 53 cm. Wood, metal, glass, photographic prints on archival matte paper, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“In this piece, ladies and gentlemen, the artist demonstrates to us how art is executed in some cases.”
Art Execution
Figure 65 × 70 cm, speech bubble 58 × 57 cm, panel 140 × 140 cm, ceramic figurine 13 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, acrylic paint, rope.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“In this piece, ladies and gentlemen, the artist demonstrates to us how art is executed in some cases.”
Art Execution (detail)
Figure 65 × 70 cm, speech bubble 58 × 57 cm, panel 140 × 140 cm, ceramic figurine 13 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, acrylic paint, rope.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“In this piece, ladies and gentlemen, the artist demonstrates to us how art is executed in some cases.”
Art Execution (detail)
Figure 65 × 70 cm, speech bubble 58 × 57 cm, panel 140 × 140 cm, ceramic figurine 13 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, acrylic paint, rope.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“What are you doing, fool?!”
Don’t Do It!
Figure 48 × 56 cm, speech bubble 40 × 35 cm, ceramic figure 11 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, limestone, rope, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“What are you doing, fool?!”
Don’t Do It! (detail)
Figure 48 × 56 cm, speech bubble 40 × 35 cm, ceramic figure 11 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, limestone, rope, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.
The Art Guide, 2020
“What are you doing, fool?!”
Don’t Do It! (detail)
Figure 48 × 56 cm, speech bubble 40 × 35 cm, ceramic figure 11 × 9 cm. Wood, fired white stoneware, limestone, rope, acrylic paint.
Magic Window group exhibition, Shelter Art Space, Alexandria, Egypt, 2020.