The eternal allure of the Giza Pyramids meets contemporary art in a truly unique event with the fourth edition of Forever Is Now, a groundbreaking international art exhibition that brings together renowned artists from around the world.
Organised by Art d’Égypte, the exhibition, now in its fourth year, has transformed the Giza Plateau into an open-air gallery where ancient monuments and contemporary creations coexist, inviting visitors to experience the enduring power of art and history.
Art enthusiasts and culture aficionados gathered on the Giza Plateau this week, eager to witness the dialogue between Egypt’s oldest landmarks and innovative installations by artists from 12 countries, including Egypt, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, South Korea, South Africa, Belgium, Lebanon, Canada, India, and Greece.
Each artist brings a distinctive voice, blending elements of the past with modern themes in sculptures, installations, and digital pieces, including artificial intelligence (AI).
“Through this gathering of artists, we create a space where heritage and innovation coexist,” said Nadine Abdel-Ghaffar, founder of Art d’Égypte and the visionary behind Forever Is Now.
“The exhibition opens up conversations about tradition, technology, and the unchanging human need to express and explore,” she said.
At the heart of this year’s exhibition is the theme of time itself and how history and heritage inform our present and future. The artists have crafted installations that delve into universal themes of humanity, nature, and identity, set against the timelessness of the Pyramids.
This convergence of ideas comes alive in works such as Chris Levine’s light-based creations from the United Kingdom, which play with perspective and reflection, as well as Italian sculptor Luca Bosvi’s blend of organic materials that meld effortlessly with the desert landscape.
One standout is an AI-powered installation by Shilo Shiv Suleiman from India, exploring the ways in which technology can simulate and reinterpret ancient patterns. Her work seeks to engage viewers in an interactive, immersive experience, turning them into active participants in uncovering layers of meaning.
Similarly, Egyptian sculptor Khaled Zaki’s larger-than-life creations bring a distinctly local touch to the exhibition, honouring Egypt’s historical narrative while pushing the boundaries of contemporary sculpture.
“This exhibition forms a bridge between Egypt and the rest of the world, using the Pyramids of Giza as a literal and metaphorical backdrop to connect contemporary voices with an ancient legacy,” said Abdel-Ghaffar, highlighting the exhibition’s role in fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
“By inviting artists from around the world, we hope to inspire visitors to reconsider the ways in which history shapes art and vice versa.”
Visitors to Forever Is Now, she continued, are more than spectators; they are invited to become “modern-day archaeologists,” uncovering hidden meanings and exploring familiar symbols through fresh perspectives. The exhibition’s layout encourages wandering through sculptures and installations that blend seamlessly with the sandy expanse and towering Pyramids, evoking a sense of timeless discovery.
“The Pyramids aren’t just a backdrop,” Abdel-Ghaffar said. “They are an integral part of the experience, offering a rare chance for the public to reimagine these landmarks through the eyes of artists who blend old and new.”
Once in a lifetime: Each year, the exhibition garners an increasingly international audience, with visitors booking trips months in advance to witness the once-in-a-lifetime convergence of history and modernity.
Art d’Égypte, in a press statement, reported that past editions have attracted over 800,000 visitors, drawing not only art lovers but also students and educators from schools and universities, eager to experience this transformative fusion of history and creativity.
For the first time, this year’s exhibition features two parallel projects, the first showcasing the work of Hassan Ragab, an Egyptian-American worker in artificial intelligence. His work, which is supported by the US company Meta, is named Identity Oblivious, and it bridges technology and traditional art and offers a fresh perspective on how artificial intelligence can contribute to and expand the realm of creative expression.
The second project is a ten-minute video entitled Evanesce created by Saudi artist Daniah Al Saleh revisiting the golden era of Egyptian cinema (1940s-1960s) and exploring how these films influenced Middle Eastern societies by subtly challenging norms around fashion, love, and personal expression.
Blending research with machine learning, the video reimagines the experience of watching classical films, evoking a sense of nostalgia while questioning how cinema shapes our collective memories and perceptions of reality.
Famous actors are suddenly brought back to life and start roaming among around the installations and the visitors.
Among the participating artists at this year’s event are Chris Levine, a British artist celebrated for his pioneering work in light art and spatial awareness. Levine’s installation, entitled Quadrivium, draws on sacred geometry and astronomical ratios, particularly those found in the Great Pyramid of Khufu. His art offers a contemplative space, inviting viewers to explore the universal truths embedded in the Giza Plateau.
Federica Di Carlo is an Italian artist who approaches her work, entitled I SEE, I SEE, with a deep connection to nature and the cosmos. Her installation is made of a steel structure and optical lenses and symbolises the infinite possibilities of life and the unseen energies that surround us, merging the scientific with the mystical in a thought-provoking manner.
Ik-Joong Kang is a South Korean artist renowned for his intricate mosaics, which bring together thousands of small canvases, each representing a story or memory. His work named Four Temples draws parallels between the ancient world and modern life, symbolising the collective memories that shape our present.
Jake Michael Singer is a South African artist who creates large-scale installations that explore the tension between natural landscapes and urban environments. His work named We will Meet Again in the Sky, reflects on the juxtaposition of the ancient desert with modernity, challenging viewers to rethink their relationship with nature and history.
Jean Boghossian is a Belgian-Lebanese artist who is a master of the art of fire. His burnt canvases and sculptures are a testament to the transformative power of flame, representing both destruction and creation. Named Desert Waves, his work echoes the enduring spirit of rebirth.
Jean-Marie Appriou is a French artist known for his dreamlike sculptures that blend mythology with contemporary concerns. His installation named Vessel of Time evokes a dialogue between the ancient gods and modern humanity, bridging the gap between the mystical and the real.
Khaled Zaki, an Egyptian artist, brings a unique perspective with his work that melds ancient Egyptian forms with modern abstraction. His sculptures entitled The Race resonate with the timelessness of the Pyramids, embodying a fusion of past and present in their design and materiality.
Luca Boffi is another Italian artist who explores the intersection of natural and artificial environments through his use of grids as optical devices. His work named Monochrome RGB engages communities in a shared exploration of space and memory, transforming the Giza Pyramids into a canvas for collective action.
Marie Khouri, a Canadian-Lebanese artist, melds her Egyptian heritage with global influences, creating flowing arabesque forms that spell out universal messages of peace and unity. Her work called I Love reflects a deep connection to both her roots and her journey as a global artist.
Shilo Shiv Suleman, an Indian artist, merges Eastern and Western symbols to create immersive installations that represent a rebirth of consciousness. Her work named Padma/ Lotus inspired by the blue lotus flower offers a space for connection and peace, blending ancient Egyptian and Indian motifs.
Nassia Inglessis, a Greek artist, is known for her sculptures that take form and transform by human interaction. Her sculpture named Liquid Solid invites viewers to engage physically and transform it, as they journey into the past of the ancient Egyptians to form a vision of a monument of the future that unites the human, the technological and the elemental.
Xavier Mascaro is a Spanish Latin American artist who integrates architecture, design, and sculpture in his works that often interact with the environment. Under the title Exodus, Mascaro’s contribution to the exhibition plays with perspectives and perceptions, making the viewer question the boundaries between what is ancient and what is new.
The fourth edition of Forever Is Now is unfolding on the Giza Plateau as a canvas that bridges millennia. The exhibition is open to the public from 24 October to 16 November, inviting visitors to explore the enduring resonance of art in a setting that captures humanity’s shared legacy and boundless creative spirit.
It offers a reminder that while time moves forward, history remains alive, whispering through the sands, woven into the present, and inspiring the future.
Art d’Égypte aims to support Egyptian arts and cultural initiatives. It has become a powerhouse on the Egyptian cultural calendar with diverse initiatives across many disciplines. It has curated six highly successful exhibitions showcasing the works of over 50 Egyptian artists since 2017 when the first exhibition entitled Eternal Light took place at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square.
This was followed by Nothing Vanishes, Everything Transforms at the Manial Palace in 2018 and Reimagined Narratives at four sites on Al-Muiz Street in Historic Cairo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2019.
There were three earlier international editions of Forever Is Now at the Pyramids on the Giza Plateau in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Power of contemporary art:
Nadine Abdel-Ghaffar shared her excitement at this year’s exhibition, telling Al-Ahram Weekly that she is thrilled to present the fourth edition of Forever Is Now at the majestic Pyramids of Giza.
“This year’s exhibition is particularly special as it marks the first time we are featuring artists from Asia, opening up new dialogues and connections across borders. Our concept delves into the rich narratives of our past while exploring the transformative power of contemporary art,” she said.
Forever Is Now is a contemporary art exhibition that brings together local, regional, and international artists to contemplate the wonder of Egypt’s ancient civilisation through the lens created by their artistic practice, Abdel-Ghaffar said.
The annual exhibition takes place at one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the Pyramids of Giza and Surrounding Plateau. It is designed to trace the continuity of themes that stretch from the storied past to the present day, echoing ancient rituals, bustling civilisations, and the whispers of buried tales yet to be discovered. It aims to emphasise that our understanding of the world is an ever-evolving tapestry and to question the transformative power of storytelling, she said.
Rooted in the universal human impulse to uncover, understand, and connect, Abdel-Ghaffar added, the exhibition delves into the rich stories concealed beneath the surface, whether in the layers of the earth or the corridors of history.
Set against the backdrop of arid expanses, shifting sands, and monumental structures, the exhibition invites us to contemplate the inexhaustible human quest for meaning.
“Through a myriad of mediums, ranging from sculpture and installations to immersive digital experiences, the artists dissect the known and the unknown, revealing the narratives that shape our collective consciousness. The concept embraces the paradox of excavation as both an intellectual pursuit and an emotional journey, extracting meaning and history and encouraging societal discourse,” Abdel-Ghaffar said.
She explained that the overarching vision behind this annual exhibition is to build a culture of interconnectivity, one where perspectives shift, and interpretations evolve. Bringing together people from around the world, the exhibition promotes cross-cultural exchange with local communities, encouraging a high level of engagement with different publics, not just visitors but also craftspeople, students, and labourers, thus providing new ways of accessing contemporary art for the uninitiated.
“Forever Is Now is not simply a revival of history, however, for the past can never be complete in the present. Rather, it is a contribution to a contemporary artistic legacy in a place of worldwide historical significance. This exhibition is an ode to the enchantment of ancient Egypt’s cultural heritage through contemporary installations that act as a testament to the continual evolution of art,” she said.
Taking place during tumultuous times that see our present disturbed in myriad ways, the exhibition delves into the themes of transcendence, hope, and faith anchored within the ancient Egyptian worldview. It encourages a dedicated exploration of the past built on the unwavering belief that there is no conception of the future without history.
We look at the narrative of past achievements to question, find inspiration, and understand the nature and purpose of successive generations, Abdel-Ghaffar concluded.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 24 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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