LIVERPOOL.- Wael Shawky, one of Egypt’s most prominent contemporary artists, is displaying a selection of his work at the Walker Art Gallery from Friday 1 July – Monday 29 August 2011 as part of the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. Shawky has exhibited internationally, with shows at the Venice and Istanbul Biennales. His work is concerned with the complex relationship between politics and religion, fundamentalism and capitalism, religious ritual and the role of media. It examines transitional events in the medieval and modern history of the Arab world, such as the first Crusades of 1096-1099 and the 1981 assassination of President Sadat. These themes have come into sharp focus through the recent upheavals in Egypt and the Middle East. The display has been co-curated by head of fine art at the Walker Art Gallery, Ann Bukantas and Eck