Photopia Hosts Conceptual Photography Exhbition that Blends Art and Imagery

BY NEHAL SHARAF
@NEHALSHARAF_

Located in a back-alley of the streets of Korba, Photopia stands as a hallmark for the duality of Egyptian culture; a modern hub for photographers set against the backdrop of Cairo’s oldest districts.

Photopia organizes a monthly contest for photographers to showcase their talent selecting three winners, acknowledged for their work. This month’s exhibition was and featured 10 photographers.

The Conceptual Photography Contest was held in March, and the three chosen winners were Fadi Koudsi in first place, Menna Hossam in second and Ahmed Mady and Mahmoud Mostafa sharing third place.

Throughout the 10-day exhibition, visitors are not charged an entrance fee, in order for friends and family to visit the gallery and admire the artists’ work.

“Conceptual photography from my perspective is how you express meanings or words through the photo simply – or you can say turn the words into a photo by arranging the elements correctly which express the meaning that the photographer wants to say,” Koudsi, who is also a photography instructor and freelancer, told The Caravan.

Koudsi draws his inspiration from music, literature and observation of some of his favorite photographers, like Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Avedon and Ralph Gibson.

“When I teach photography I tell trainees we deal with light and time to get the right meaning – the right moment – and the right feelings and in this era – photos have become a language that can change the world,” Koudsi said.

He also emphasized the importance of simplicity in his work, especially in his winning piece, ‘Single Again’, which featured a rose.

“I tried to express a very personal meaning through just the rose and its shadow, which evoked certain memories for me that couldn’t be understood any other way” Koudsi explained.

“My work usually carries the themes of fantasy or darkness; some people actually describe my pieces as Gothic or fairy-tale like,” said Menna Hossam, who is a former supervisor of the photography team for Jumia Egypt.

Second place winner Hossam, adds an element of fine art to conceptual photography.

Yet photography is not usually welcomed with an open mind both on a global and even more so on a local scale.

“I want people to start exploring more into types of photography. Worldwide, conceptual and fine art photography are very important types of art, which is why I wish for people to start digging deep into different forms of photography and to support their local talents,” Hossam said, hoping to inspire people through her work.

The Escapist – a surrealist piece that depicts a women in red hovering over a dark and eerie lake – is the title of the image that Hossam submitted for Photopia’s contest.

“I think it’s the best piece I’ve ever made actually. I spent a lot of time adjusting everything from
the camera position to the model to the whole composition. I love the serenity and warm tones of the image; they kind of give me some peace of mind when I look at the picture.” Hossam added.

Ahmed Mady, who studies engineering at Ain Shams ARTS AND CULTURE University, believes that conceptual photography is “the type of photography where the photo must be in its simplest form to illustrate the idea you want.”

“I don’t want to show people what they want, a lot of people are already doing that, what they don’t want to see or what they can’t see is what I want to present to them,” Mady told The Caravan.

Remon Elmarkiz, professional wedding and commercial photographer was one of the judges that rated the work presented by the artists. His aim was to find a photograph that is meaningful and tells a story.

What struck Elmarkiz most about the winning piece by Fadi Koudsi was how simple and balanced the art piece was.

He believes that conceptual photography is about expressing feelings and that Koudsi was able to do just that.

“What differentiates between the works of the four winning artists than the other artists who participated in the contest is the solid output with edge that the four winning artist managed to put out,” Elmarkiz told The Caravan.

Elmarkiz explained that the life of an artist is not an easy one; it is one that requires endurance and the necessary patience to undergo a demanding learning process.

However, she does recognize its benefits, citing “artistic value” and the possibility of meeting new people who “respect art” as some of her greatest motivations.

“But not much is saved by the end of the month” says Elmarkiz, who highlights the economic and financial costs that photographers are still confronted with despite the artistic and personal benefits that come out of explorations in art.