Art d’Égypte firm held a press conference to announce the launch of the “Forever Is Now” exhibition in the presence of ten international artists in the Giza Pyramids plateau.
The exhibition is the first contemporary art exhibition in the pyramids area held under the auspices of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority.
The exhibition will host ten international artists, namely Russian artist Alexander Ponomarev, American artist Gisela Colon, Brazilian Joao Trevisan and French artist JR, as well as Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn, Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr , Egyptian/American Shereen Gerges, British duo SHUSTER + MOSELEY, British artist Stephen Cox, and the Saudi Prince Sultan bin Fahd.
Stephen Cox RA
“Forever Is Now” is an exhibition of contemporary art focused around international contemporary perspectives of ancient Egyptian civilization.
It explores time as a continuum that divides and connects civilizations. Through blending rich cultural history and contemporary artwork it aims to trace the continuity of ideas from the mythical past to the vibrant present, and to inspire the future of humanity.
JR
“Today, we are witnessing a global event taking place on the land of Egypt. Today, the past is intertwined with the present, and history is mixed with reality, and antiquities with contemporary art,” the founder of Art d’Egypte Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, said.
“We are pleased and honored by the presence and participation of local and international artists from different countries who came to the Pyramids of Giza, which is one of the oldest monuments in history. The artists came to this exhibition to send a message of pride and appreciation for the ancient Egyptian civilization, its heritage and archaeological landmarks that were and still are a beacon of art through the ages.”
Shuster + Moseley
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Art d’Egypt also presents the world’s first ultra-realistic robot that can draw, sculpt and participate in the artistic process.
Gisela Colon
The parts and techniques in the arm of this artist robot, called “Ai-Da”, were programmed by Egyptian students at the University of Leeds, Salah al-Abed and Ziad Abbas.
Art d’Egypt will present the robot’s work in the exhibition, which starts from October 21 and will last for two days.
The robot’s artwork will continue to be displayed until October 28.
Lorenzo Quinn
The founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, Hoda Ibrahim al-Khamis, thanked Abdel Ghaffar and expressed appreciation for the great role Art d’Egypt played in preserving culture and art, stressing the importance of the “Forever Is Now” exhibition in celebrating authentic Egyptian history, through contemporary artwork from around the world, including work from Egypt’s greatest late sculptor Adam Henein.
João Trevisan
“In this distinguished exhibition which represents a distinctive plastic art event that highlights the achievements of Arab and international plastic artists and presents a constructive movement in the face of the pandemic and its repercussions on culture, art and creativity, we witness the flourishing of the artistic movement once again, bearing a call for solidarity, convergence, tolerance and peace,” Khamis said.
Moataz Nasr
Art d’Egypte promotes artwork across the pyramids plateau in Giza with a view to protecting the heritage site.
The land on which the exhibition was built was protected by a layer of sand and tarpaulin in order not to ruin the artwork or negatively affect the site floor.
The company also works closely with UNESCO to support and educate public school children on how to protect heritage sites.
Alexander Ponomarev
This project was made possible by the support of several partners including the US embassy in Egypt, Dior, Hany Saad, Badya Palm Hills, Orange Egypt, Sawiris Foundation, Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), Afreximbank, SWVL and others.
Attendees will have access to the Internet via a free Wi-Fi network provided by Orange Egypt, and the company will also make it easier for visitors to the “Forever Is Now” exhibition to learn about all the details of the event and its activities through a special application developed by Orange Labs.
Sultan Bin Fahd
