If Memory Serves

“Extended Ecologies” was a joint research program between Medrar for Contemporary Art in Cairo and Critical Media Labs in Basel with generous support from Pro Helvetia. The research labs lasted for 5 months and were followed by a production lab punctuated by an exhibition held in September 2023.

The following is an excerpt of the project text edited by the Medrar for Contemporary Art:

[… This work] explores the intersection of the real and the hyperreal. Serageldin Kamel juxtaposes human archives with AI-generated representations, creating a digital interactive installation that merges the escapism of collective memory with the ubiquitous echoes of the hyper-immersive digital era. The result is a canvas of color and sound that encapsulates life as we know it today.

Serageldin Kamel's work asks us to consider the implications of living in a world where the digital and the physical are increasingly intertwined. What does it mean to be authentic in a world where everything is constantly changing? And how can we find meaning in a world that is increasingly mediated by technology?

This project is a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between the real and the hyperreal. It invites a vitalizing exploration not only of what our reality is coming to represent but also of our growth as people as we rediscover who and what we are…”