By Rami Mansi
A snowy Saturday night, a historical exhibition analyzing current pop culture through the lens of a foundational ancient society, and a group of college students led by their professors combined to create a night of educational exploration.
On Feb. 8, the Brooklyn College Historical Society (BCHS) offered students a chance to embark on a college field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). The exhibition is entitled “Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now”, and has been on display since Nov. 17 of last year.
The exhibition analyzes “[…] how Black artists and other cultural figures have engaged with ancient Egypt through visual, sculptural, literary, musical, scientific, scholarly, religious, political, and performative pursuits,” according to The Met.
The artworks were quite different from one another. One display showed the beginnings of modern Egyptian art through notable painter Mahmoud Sa’id and his 1932 painting “L’invitation au voyage.” Sa’id, who was born into the aristocratic circle of Alexandria, became a judge but pursued painting as a hobby. His style emerged with the rise of nationalism in Egypt, which is apparent in his works, and he is often coined the founder of Modern Egyptian painting.
Other displays included a wall containing album covers inspired by Ancient Egypt’s culture and five sculptured busts of a pharaoh whose skin tones ranged from paper white to obsidian black. All the art presented in the exhibition highlighted, and reflected, the mutual impact that Black artisans and Ancient Egypt shared; both sides used the other’s art forms and learned from the other’s flair, matching each other in creative energies.
“The goal was for students to experience the wonder and resonance of objects, so it was important for them to experience the exhibit first-hand. The way objects are displayed is part of how they are interpreted,” stated Professor Kelly Britt, one of the leading professors of the trip and a professor of archaeology at BC. “With students learning about the art/artifact debate–what makes an object art versus an artifact–it’s important to experience interacting with the objects.”
When about the significance of BC students learning about the connection between black artists and Ancient Egypt, Professor Britt shared, “It’s important to critically look at how these narratives have shaped the dominant ideology, and critique them–which is especially important in today’s political climate. Think critically about the world around you-, objects and all.”
BCHS president Lina Mazioui agreed with the sentiments shared by Professor Britt, stating, “There is a myriad of knowledge and material at the MET to be taken advantage of by students to contribute to the interdisciplinary liberal arts education the college strives to provide.”
The trip concluded with the group discussing their findings in the exhibit, ranging from what they found thought-provoking and explicitly artistic to commenting on Beyonce’s videos playing on one of the TV screens.
The exhibition contained provocative sculptures and moving images, both literal and metaphorical, that tested how Ancient Egypt inspired Black artists and how Black artists were once the artistic muses of Ancient Egypt as a culture. Mazioui added to her previous statements, stating, “History is not composed of only dates and events, but deep context which is not only a supplement and precedent to our modern events, but a point of reference for communities who had their identities stripped of them by oppressors.”
Students interested in the BC Historical Society should refer to their Instagram, @bchistoricalsociety.