Plus 359 Gallery

01/04/2026

The Slave Market

There are three large-size photos, depicting auctions of women. In two of them, the auctioneers are wearing antique himation, while the bidders are clothed rather contemporary. Whereas the women are mostly undressed and they are evidently ashamed. In these photos, the artist reinterprets paintings by Jean-Léon Gérôme from the second half of the 19th century. With his style of the academic realism, the French artist displayed the current scientific state of knowledge about antiquity. Once again, tradition and modernity meet. The paintings are transferred into a contemporary medium: photography. Moreover, Nasr changes the perspective: while Gérôme displayed the European idea of oriental behaviour, the Egypt artist looks at European art history from his position.

25/03/2026

In Petro Beads, Moataz Nasr strings together perforated and illuminated gas containers to form an oversized strand of prayer beads. The industrial tanks — symbols of fossil fuel wealth and global energy economies — are transformed into objects associated with religious devotion, creating a powerful visual metaphor for the relationship between petro-capital and religion.

The containers are carefully perforated and painted, allowing the light inside to glow outward and cast patterns reminiscent of traditional metal lamps found across North Africa and the Middle East. Although made from recycled industrial materials, the work recalls long-standing artisanal traditions and devotional objects used in spiritual rituals. This transformation from utilitarian gas vessels into luminous beads creates a striking tension between industry and spirituality.

By merging these two worlds, Nasr reflects on how economic power derived from natural resources can shape religious institutions and practices. At the same time, the light glowing from within the containers suggests that spirituality itself persists, even when surrounded by structures of power and wealth.

25/03/2026

MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas is not just an event – it is a place for encounters, discoveries, and conversations around contemporary photography.

We are pleased to share that Gallery +359 took part in this year’s edition, where we presented a selection of works by Moataz Nasr.

22/03/2026

22/03/2026