'Wael Shawky: Drama 1882' at Grand Palais, Paris, France

9 June 2026

From 10 June – 26 July, Grand Palais presents 'Wael Shawky: Drama 1882'. Eight fascinating parts trace Ahmed Urabi's revolt against colonial domination and take you on a tale between theater, opera and cinema. As a highlight of the Venice Biennale 2024, it is offered this year as part of the Saison Méditerranée 2026.

With videos, sculptures and meticulous historical reconstructions, Wael Shawky questions the authority of written history and its ambiguities. Colonel Ahmed Urabi, peasant turned founder of the Egyptian Nationalist Party, led the uprising and worked to return Egypt to its people. What event in 1882 could have imploded his popular movement, precipitated the bombardment of Alexandria by British forces and caused his exile?

With meticulous attention to detail, Wael Shawky stages a musical, theatrical and magical tale filmed in a historic Alexandria theater, against a striking pictorial backdrop. The performers and soundtrack seem to be part of the same moving painting. The sets move in slow motion, while the characters seem hypnotized, evolving in a slow, spellbinding choreography. Drama takes on many faces: it can be entertainment, catastrophe, or the doubt inherent in the story. A timely, critical conversation about the need to revisit history and the futility of war.

Find out more via Grand Palais.

Image: Wael Shawky, Drama 1882, 2024, 4k video, sound, color, VFX, Arabic, © Wael Shawky, Courtesy of Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Lisson Gallery, Lia Rumma, and Barakat Contemporary