The Last Dance #IV, Denver 2012
14 archival pigment ink on archival cotton-rag paper
50 x 74.6 cm (each)
The astonishing abstract shapes in the series The Last Dance 'I, Denver 2012 are shots of a twirling dance captured in time and space. The belly dancer is hidden under swirling golden fabric, reproducing, in a unique combination, the circular movements of the Serpentine Dance by Loïe Fuller, a pioneer of modern choreography.
The dancer vanishing under the whirling fabrics is Egyptian photographer Youssef Nabil's metaphorical response to the gradual disappearance of belly dancing in Egypt. Once respected and valued, since the revolutionary events of 2011 this long artistic tradition has been deemed immoral and has been gradually banned in Egyptian clubs and theatres.
Acquired by the Pinault Collection, The Last Dance 'IV, Denver 2012 is being presented for the first time at Nabil's 2020 solo show “Once Upon A Dream” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.
