By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Asian-American artist Paul Pfeiffer, winner of the prestigious Hathor Prize at Cairo's Ninth International Biennale, has chosen to donate the money associated with the award to Cairo's Townhouse Gallery in support of its work with young Egyptian artists.

Egypt's premier international art exhibition opened December 13 at Cairo's Palace of Arts under the sponsorship of Farouk Hosni, Egyptian Minister of Cultural Affairs.

The Townhouse Gallery is one of Cairo's premier art galleries, featuring the works of young Egyptian artists.

Pfeiffer is one of five artists whose work has received special recognition by the 2003 selection committee of the Biennale. The commissioner's statement praised Pfeiffer's work for its approach to "the multiplication, restructuring and distribution of human images via technology."

The Hawaiian-born artist works primarily in video, sculpture and photography. His recent works use video footage of professional sporting events, which he manipulates with computer technology to redirect the viewer's attention to the spectators, equipment and trophies rather than the players.

He has also created a series of works drawing on familiar imagery from well-known Hollywood horror films in order to explore ways in which the media manipulates fears and anxieties.

Pfeiffer spent much of his childhood in the Philippines before returning to the United States to pursue his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute and New York's Hunter College.

His progressive work has earned the young artist growing attention in recent years including an award from the Whitney Museum for American Art in 2000 and a stint as artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Cairo International Biennale, established in 1989, is the largest international visual arts exhibition in the Arab world and attracts artists from all over the world.

Pfeiffer's participation in the Cairo International Biennale was made possible in part by a fund administered in cooperation between the U.S. Department of State, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Rockefeller Foundation.

The State Department's Cultural Programs Division also supports educational events in conjunction with the international exhibitions where American artists are sponsored.

At this year's Biennale, the department has arranged for a group of leading American curators and art critics to meet with young artists informally and in organized panel discussions. The group will discuss the growing importance of international exhibitions in the world of contemporary art.