(17 Dec 1996) T/I: 11:26:53


American artist has won one of the most prestigious art prizes in the Middle East for her work, which is mostly inspired by the desert.
Lita Albuquerque, who was born in Tunisia but now lives in California, was awarded the prize in Cairo's Bienalle exhibition as she and volunteers completed an ambitious sand painting in the desert close to the Giza pyramids on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital.
The artist and her helpers charted the stars above Egypt at that time of year and mapped the constellations in blue pigment in the sand.
The artistic endeavour was called "Sol Star" or The myth of the Golden Bee".
But problems arose at the last moment when an Egyptian official announced that the designs would produce a Star of David and condemned the art-work as a "Zionist plot". Only when they re-checked the plans was the final go-ahead be given.
Work began in the early morning when volunteers, working under the direction of an Egyptian architect, inscribed circles in the sand corresponding to stars above Egypt at night. Stones were cleared away and the sand smoothed before the circles were filled with ultramarine blue pigment.
The finished work - juxtaposed against the ancient pyramids - was quite
startling but could only be enjoyed for two hours. When darkness fell, the winds blew away the colour and reclaimed the desert.

SHOWS:

CAIRO/EGYPT RECENT
00.00 Blue circle in the sand;
00.05 MS two men making circle;
00.10 CU of men hands, PULL OUT to two men working;
00.17 Lita Albuquerque, artist, directing volunteers working on circles;
00.20 Volunteer dumping bag;
00.24 SOT Albuquerque "This man for some reason suspected that we were
Israelis - that we were doing a Star of David and that we were going to
photograph it from the air and all he had done was to join up the
points"... they finally gave us their approval so long as we were not
doing anything that could be misinterpreted as the star of David";
00.42 Two girls hauling sack;
00.54 SOT from announcer (not in shot) saying listen everybody. Nita has won first prize - followed by cheering and celebrations;
01.01 Nita jumping up and down celebrating;
01.06 WS of blue circle with pyramid;
01.12 Cairo City skyline with circles;
01.17 WS long shot of blue circles with pyramids;
01.21 WS of blue circle with one pyramid;
01.25 ws with pyramid

01.33 VISION ENDS

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