Ibraaz Talks is a series of specially curated conversations with artists, curators and writers. Participants are invited to respond to a particular issue or keyword that addresses formal and conceptual issues affecting both their personal practices and contemporary visual culture. Initiated at Art Dubai in 2013, this latest series was staged at SALT Beyoğlu during the opening days of the 13th Istanbul Biennial. This conversation, between 13th Istanbul Biennial artist Basim Magdy and Ibraaz Managing Editor Stephanie Bailey, explores the idea of collective memory and traces connections between the production of collective narratives in Madgy's work.

Basim Magdy was born in Assiut, Egypt, in 1977 and currently lives and works in Basel, Switzerland and Cairo. Magdy works with different media including drawing, painting, film, installation, animation, sculpture, video, sound and printed matter. He is particularly interested in constructing narrative structures that explore the space between reality and fiction and its contribution to science, history, global culture and the dissemination of knowledge. His work appeared recently in solo and group exhibitions including 21 Shortlisted Artists for the Future Generation Art Prize, PinchukArtCentre, Kiev; AR/GE Kunst Galerie Museum, Bolzano, Italy; Newtopia, Mechelen, Belgium; La Triennale, Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Transmediale, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (2012); Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid, Centre Pompidou, Paris; Argos Art Center, Brussels; Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna; Institut Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt; 1st D-O ARK Underground Biennial, Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ; Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCa), North Adams (2011); 2nd Ateliers de Rennes Biennale d'art contemporain, Rennes; DEPO, Istanbul (2010); Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel/Muttenz (2009); MARCO - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Vigo, Spain (2008); Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC), Seville, Spain, Apexart, New York; Le Fresnoy, Tourcoing, France (2007); la Caixa Foundation, Barcelona; Sala Rekalde, Bilbao; Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai; SAW Gallery, Ottawa (2006); Momenta Art, New York; Hiscox Art Projects, London (2005) Neue Kunsthalle St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Art in General, New York (2004) among others.