The 24th edition of the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (AISS) is currently taking place in Upper Egypt's city of Aswan, with the participation of 15 artists.

The symposium started 19 January and will conclude 9 March with a closing ceremony.

Both Egyptian and international artists are working with Aswan’s famous granite stone, each presenting his own project. Works vary from organic to geometric forms, or a blend of both.

The three Egyptian artists in the main track are Taha Abdel Karim, Alaa Yahia and Abdelrahman El Agoz. They each present large works and spend the whole duration of the symposium in production.

They are accompanied by four international artists: Nils Hansen from Germany, Cinzia Susanna from Switzerland, Hemann Gschaider from Austria, and Xavier Escala from Spain.

Eight Egyptian artists participate in the workshop segment, and attend half the duration and produce smaller works. This year those artists are: Ahmed Nabil, Marwa Magdy, Mohamed El- Sayyad, Nourhan Maher, Ola El-Tokhy, Sally El-Sayed, Sara Qassem, and Zeinab Soubhy.

This year’s general commissare is sculptor Hany Faisal, assisted by sculptor Abdalmageed Ismail.

Organised by the Culture Development Fund, AISS is the most important sculpture event in Egypt, and a rite of passage for professional sculptors. It has been internationally recognised for many years, and in 2017 it was also inducted into the International Sculpture Symposium Alliance (ISSA).

Finished works are placed in the Open Museum in Aswan, while others may be placed in city squares and state organisation buildings around the country.

Artists working at the 24th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (Photo: Mousa Mahmoud)

Artists working at the 24th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (Photo: Mousa Mahmoud)

Artists working at the 24th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (Photo: Mousa Mahmoud)

Artists working at the 24th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (Photo: Mousa Mahmoud)

Artists working at the 24th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (Photo: Mousa Mahmoud)

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