Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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Everything You Need to Know About the Cairo International Art District

Between September 15th and October 27th Art D’Egypt will be taking over six historic venues across Downtown Cairo for an unmissable month of provocative art open to the public.

Cairo Scene

Everything You Need to Know About the Cairo International Art District

Walking around Downtown Cairo was already a romantic endeavour before its temporary transformation into an open art gallery for Cairo International Art District. Every nook and cranny and corner and crevice and shopside tenant with their leather faces and knowing looks has a story or even a saga to tell. When we look up and peer into the Parisian inspired facades at Talat Harb and Abdelkhalik Thawrat we can't help but fantasize and romanticize our cannibalized Cairean-chic past. When we pass iconic landmarks like Radio Cinema or Cafe Riche or Groppi we are reminded that there was a time when the centre of our city was also the centre of our bustling and vibrant cultural hub for intellectuals of art, cinema and beyond.

CIAD's story then really begins in 1870 when our old and omnipotent mate Khedive Ismail transformed the city into a postcard-pretty district whose cosmopolitan heritage turned it into the art district of Cairo. Eventually it birthed Egypt's first independent, non-profit contemporary art space The Townhouse Gallery, which later became The Factory, which is the where we fast forward to, as it's the first of six historic venues that grandiose multi-disciplinary firm Art D'Egypte has rampacked with a glorious concoction of paintings, sculptures, installations, video art, sound and immersive experiences from top local, regional and international artists. A hugely impressive and diverse range of works that are not only appealing to fine art enthusiasts but the gallery goer who's mainly in it for the gram, a range of artists that each play with their own ideas of identity and time and design - a perfect synecdoche for Downtown's never ending story.

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what art you can expect to lay your grateful eyes on across the city from now all the way through to October 27th.

All exhibitions are open daily from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, except Thursdays


Tangled Structures | The Factory, 6 Nabarawy St.

Exhibiting Artists: Ahmed Nagy, Ahmed Badry, Ahmed Sorour, Esmeralda Kosmatopoulous, Amado Alfadni, Hany Rashed, Hazem Mistikawy, Nelly El Sharkawy, Mohamed Monaiseer, Yasmine ElMeleegy, Alberto Reguera, Gisela Colon, Joao Trevisan, Marianne Manda, Michaelangelo Bastani, Sandrine Pelletier, Sherin Guirguis, Karina Al Piaro

Expect a whole host of eye grabbing, brain tingling installations and paintings on display from local, regional and international artists at ‘Tangled Structures’, a group exhibition that discusses the diverse cultural interactions of our evolving generation.

Ahmed Badry - Social Object No. 12, 2021

Amado Alfadni - Bint El Sudan - Africa’s “Chanel No. 5”, 2021


Esmeralda Kosmatopoulous - Excavated Cleo, 2020


Fragments of Land | Access Art Space, 10 Nabarawy St.

Exhibiting Artists: Al Tayeb Dawo El-Beit, Ahmed Abdelfattah, Moaz Dmasy, Mohamed Aboulnaga, Mohamed El Sayed, Caroline Berzi, Adel Rahoumi, Marwan Elgamal, Tamer Sayed, Ahmed Farid, Emad Abu Grain, Ibrahim Khattab, Nazli Madkour, Maged Mikhael, Ahmed, Askalany, Diaa ElDin Daoud, Ahmed Karaaly, Salam Yousry, Therese Antoine, Walid Taher, Weaam El Masry

Featuring 22 artists, this is another large group exhibition that has something for just about everyone. The theme of the pieces aim to explore the phenomena of creativity and inspiration and how they happen. Go on in and get inspired.


Maged Mikhael - Saied & Aida, 2020


Ahmed Askalany - Waiting, 2019


Adel Rahoumi - Life in a Lockdown, 2021


Verve | 36, Abdelkhalek Tharwat St.

Exhibiting Artists: Alia Gheita, Ehab Ehab, Hossam Dirar, Rawan Abbas, Rana Samir, Marwan Sabra, Heba Abo Elela, Yasmine El Hazek, Issa Aboelseoud, Farida Bustani

A wonderful concoction of works from rising artists that experiment with the transformation of ideas into contemporary direction, making a challenge to the millennium perspective. Got it, boomer?


Ehab Ehab - Question & Tiktaalik, 2020


Alia Gheita - Ow (Logographic), 2021


Marwan Sabra - Umm El Shou’or (Folk Tale), 2021


ChaösGnösis: The Quest for the KöreKösmu | Kodak Passage, 20 Adly St.

Exhibiting Artist: Tarek Naga

A project by architect, artist and overall brilliant mad scientist Tarek Naga that aims to document the creative process of a film narrative of two contrary worlds, the far future and the distant past. Surely you’re intrigued by the name alone?


Tarek Naga - The Quest for the KöreKösmu, 2021


We are Inside • Your Experience is your Collateral • The Blue Hippo Project • El-Takaeba • The Weighing of a Heart • The Oracle of Lies • The Maze | 11 Nabarawy St.

Exhibiting Artists: Mohamed Abou El Naga, Aya Tarek, Udo, Mohamed El Masry, Basil El Halwagy, Laura Weber, Rosie Eva, Adel Rahoumi, Aliaa Gheita, Aliaa El Greidy, Botros Saeid, Caroline Berzi, D. Marwan Yasser, Deena Fadel, Dr. Ibrahim El Feshawy, Emad Abu Grain, Gamal El Kheshen, Hadia El Masry, Hagar Barakat, Hanafy Mahmoud, Hany Rashed, Hossam Zaky, Ibrahim Khattab, Maher Dawood, Mina Isaac, Mostafa Mahmoud, Nevine Hamza, Omar, Abd El Zaher, Omar Senada, Rowan Aldib

Seven projects range in subject matter from ancient myths and legends told for years to the current cultural zeitgeist that blankets our everyday life.


Mohamed El Masry - El-Takaeba, 2021


The Blue Hippo Project - Sculptures by Alia Gheita. Art by Adel Rahoumi, Ahmed Farid, Alia Gheita, Aliaa El Greidy, Carline Berzi, Deena Fadel, Emad Abugrain, Gamal El Kheshen, Hadia El Masry, Hagar Barakat, Hanafy Mahmoud, Hany Rashed, Hossam Zaki, Ibrahm Khattab, Ibrahim Ramsis El Fichawy, Maher Dawoud, Marwan Yasser, Mina Issac, Mostafa Mahmoud, Nevine Hamza, Omar Abdel Zaher, Omar Senada, Rowan Aldib


Basil El Halwagy - The Embrace, 2011


Duality | Cinema Radio [Outdoor], 24 Talaat Harb St.

Exhibiting Artist: Don Tanani

This project by Egyptian legacy furniture brand Don Tanani and designed by Lina Al Orabi discusses the need for elevation in the Egyptian design market.


Don Tanani - Duality


Extraordinary Friends | Cinema Radio [Indoor], 24 Talaat Harb St.

Exhibiting Artists: Mohamed Banawy

Banawy’s installation sheds light on the issues created by the hyper connectivity of social media and how it has changed the course of communication in our lives and caused social isolation and depression. A bit triggering then.


Mohamed Banawy - Extraordinary Friends, 2021