“Forever is Now”, running from October 27 to November 30, is the first ever contemporary art exhibition in the 4,500-year long history of the Pyramids of Giza, organised by Art D’Égypte at the UNESCO world heritage site after three years of dialogue with the most prominent Egyptologists.
The unique exhibition showcases landscape installations by 12 of the most prolific international contemporary artists in the surroundings of the last remaining and the oldest of the Seven Wonder son the Ancient World.
Some of the acclaimed artists exhibiting include Jean René, a French street artist who works under the pseudonym JR, best known for his transformation of the Louvre in Paris with a 3D optical illusion made of two thousand pieces of paper.
French-Tunisian calligraphy master eL Seed is another who is on the roster of this one-of-a-kind exhibition. Emirati artist Zeinab Al Hashemi, known for her stunning installations that contrast the UAE’s natural landscape with abstract geometric shapes, is also exhibiting, as is Saudi artist Mohammed Al Faraj.
Egyptian artist Ahmed Karaly has been creating art for nearly three decades influenced by Egyptian and Islamic architecture, and he too is representing the Middle East in “Forever is Now”.
“I have always been in awe of this extraordinary ancient civilization that has influenced generations with discoveries in the sciences, arts, math, social justice, cultural development, and innovation,” said Nadine A. Ghaffar, French-Egyptian founder of Art D’Égypte. “It is a civilization that managed to invent and build monuments that we as human beings to this day cannot fathom and have not been able to replicate. Egyptian culture is a gift to humanity, and the purpose of this exhibition is to showcase these treasures in a dialogue with the contemporary on an international scale, to the rest of the world. Ancient Egypt has influenced artists from around the world, and so we bring the world to Egypt and Egypt to the world through art. It’s a privilege to stand at the foot of these monuments that have survived turmoil, wars, and pandemics, and have endured. This exhibition is a token of hope for humanity and a humble tribute to a civilization that stands the test of time.”
