Nadah El Shazly
On March 13th 2020, Arno Mery had to immediately leave Cairo to his hometown Berlin as the borders in both countries were about to close due to COVID-19 lockdown measures. He had spent a few days taking pictures at night when it was pitch dark on the deserted streets of a small residential area in Cairo. But due to the fact that photography labs were closed, the content of the photographs remained a mystery.
With total conviction that Arno's pictures will finally depict the hidden life of ghosts and monstrous creatures that roam the streets at night, Nadah decides to follow Arno's path and find out what those images might have captured.
About the artist
Nadah El Shazly is a vocalist, producer and sound artist from Cairo. Her debut album Ahwar (2017) reinvents Egyptian popular music from the early 19th century and explores new sonic and harmonic frontiers. Using voice, field recordings and instruments, she creates haunting sound pieces and songs with complex layers and dynamic structures that hijack the perception of time. She has been featured in international festivals including Le Guess Who?, Rewire, Irtijal, Nusasonic, and Marfa Myths.