Based on extensive periods of research and enquiry, Wael Shawky’s work tackles notions of national, religious and artistic identity through film, performance and storytelling. The artist’s sixth solo exhibition with Lisson Gallery, and second in New York, features the US debut of a new single-channel film exploring the historical significance of Alexandria, Egypt, accompanied by a number of new paintings. Telling tales from the complex history of Shawky’s native region, his works invite analysis into collective belief systems, from faith to the recording of history. The presentation follows a major solo exhibition of the artist that opened in March at Museum Leuven in Belgium.