Forever is Now - The first contemporary exhibition set against the backdrop of ancient wonders.

When "ancient" meets "contemporary"

Art D'Egypte is a privately owned, multidisciplinary Egyptian company founded to promote Egyptian culture and art. “Forever is Now” is the organization's fourth annual exhibition, held in a truly unique location: right next to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Giza Pyramids and the surrounding highlands.

To realize this project, Art D'Egypte faced numerous challenges, including convincing Egyptian authorities, who prioritized the preservation and protection of the pyramids and showed little interest in contemporary art. Ultimately, however, the exhibition was a success, sponsored by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UNESCO.

Many artists from Egypt and various countries around the world participated in "Forever Is Now". What made this art exhibition so appealing was the unique combination of contemporary art with the world's oldest ancient heritage, the last remaining wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art D'Égypte, said: “The pyramids have a long and glorious history and are an extraordinary feat of human architecture, and have always been an endless source of inspiration for artists from all over the world. I am delighted to be able to create an unforgettable encounter for them, an encounter that combines art, history and cultural heritage.”

"Forever is right now"

This exhibition is made even more appealing by the appearance of a special artist, Ai-da.The world's first surreal AI robot artist.However, she faced a major challenge on her journey from England to Egypt when Egyptian security forces detained her and her artwork at customs for 10 days due to concerns about cameras in her eyes. Nevertheless, Ai-da was eventually able to participate in the exhibition on October 21st with her work.

Ai-da's sculptures are inspired by the famous riddle of the Sphinx – the mythical creature with the head of a man and the body of a lion, which guarded the gates of Thebes. It would often pose enigmatic riddles to those wishing to enter the city, only allowing them in if they gave the correct answer. “What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the afternoon?” – and the correct answer is “man.” This riddle depicts the life cycle of a human being from birth, through adulthood, and into old age when they must use a cane.

The Aida sculpture addresses the ancient Egyptian concept of the afterlife along with the 21st-century obsession with achieving immortality through biotechnology. Speaking about the work, Aidan Meller, a British art dealer and creator of Aida, said: “Aida created a giant version of herself with three legs. Today, with new Crispr technology and gene editing, extending human lifespan is entirely possible. The ancient Egyptians did something similar with mummification. In fact, humans have always yearned to live forever.”

The exhibition will take place from October 21st to November 7th, 2021. Nadine Abdel Ghaffar said that the outdoor art exhibition in Egypt is a new experience, adding: "The exhibition is a message of hope for humanity, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries have had to implement domestic restrictions and close themselves off from the outside world."

Khanh Ha