In Love, Denver 2012

Two embracing women lying in opposite positions stand out against an abstract blue background. Their scanty costumes with gilded ornaments suggest that they are belly dancers in a dream.

Immersed in a pastel-toned pictorial atmosphere, the models become mirages, fantasised visions in line with the orientalist image of the Arab woman. In his work Youssef Nabil, a lover of tolerance, seeks to recall that sexuality does exist in the Arab world. The Egyptian photographer's outdated aesthetics and dramatic staging pay tribute to Arab cinema's golden age, which celebrated love.

In Love, Denver 2012 is being presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during Nabil's 2020 solo show “Once Upon A Dream” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.