Art D’Égypte Brings Contemporary Art to Pyramids in “Forever Is Now”

Art D’Égypte presents the first international art exhibition to take place at the Giza Pyramids & the surrounding Giza Plateau

Cairo, Egypt: Art D’Égypte launched their 4th annual exhibition, Forever Is Now, which took place till November 17th, 2021 at the Great Pyramids of Giza and the surrounding Giza Plateau. This is Art D'Égypte fourth edition and is held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board, the Governorate of Giza, and the patronage of UNESCO. 

“The Pyramids have a long, illustrious history of extraordinary kind that has fascinated and inspired artists from all over the world,” said Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, Founder of Art D’Égypte, “I’m thrilled to share what will be an unforgettable encounter with the union of art, history, and heritage.”

“Forever Is Now” is a contemporary art exhibition that brings together the work of global artists for a one-of-a-kind opportunity to contemplate the wonders of an ancient civilization through the eyes of today's artists' interests and passions. The exhibition, which is based in the 4500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site of the Pyramids of Giza and the adjacent plateau, aims to explore time as a continuum that both divides and connects civilizations. The contrast of cherished cultural history with a broad array of contemporary art practices is intended to trace the continuity of ideas from the legendary past to the vibrant present, and to be inspired for humanity's future.
 

"Here I Have Returned" is a large-scale, site-specifc, sculptural monument and homage to the long history of women who have lifted and supported Egyptian society and culture over time. The sculpture’s form is inspired by that of an ancient sistrum, a sacred musical instrument used by the priestesses of Isis during healing and cleansing rituals and processions. Engraved with pharaonic-inspired patterns and excerpts from a poem by Egyptian poet Doria Shafk1, the piece rises from the sand, calling upon us to recall the power and labour of these women. Visitors will be invited to activate the cymbals on the sculpture creating a sense of call and response from the present to the past and back. An echo through time, a remembrance of this history and an invitation to connect those narratives to our present. The sculpture will be embedded with the scent of Jasmine oil sourced from local Egyptian farms and celebrating the work of the women who harvest the delicate fowers. The sculpture is both shelter and monument – a site of interaction with the pyramids, the community, and the visitors from all over the world. The sound and fragrance will act as an ethereal echo of rituals performed here many centuries ago. Serving as both a remembrance of history and an invitation to connect these narratives to the present, the work sets out to make the invisible work of historically under-recognized women visible once more.

View Art D’Égypte