When can you define something as “past” and who owns history? With their first extensive, institutional solo exhibition No History at All artist Dina El Kaisy Friemuth critically investigates history writing as an imperialistic practice. The exhibition presents a new body of poetic works, among which are a commissioned floor carpet, a video installation, and a facade banner.

Rather than moving around the exhibition in an upright position, visitors are invited to take a seat on a large carpet decorated with political quotes and various Egyptian terms for the soul. From the soft carpet, you can watch the video work House of KA. Accompanied by a horror-inspired soundscape, we follow El Kaisy Friemuth, along with three family members, as they observe Egyptian sculptures at the Neues Museum in Berlin after hours. El Kaisy Friemuth’s mother, who used to be an Egyptian tourist guide, tells stories about Egyptian mythology while the video jumps between footage of her and her audience sitting in the museum and in the home. In this way, the museum’s grand storytelling is juxtaposed with the feminist gathering of El Kaisy Friemuth’s family members and their personal experiences.