Friday March 29th, 2024
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This Italian Artist Reimagines Downtown Cairo Through a Nostalgic Lens

'Imaginary Graffiti Manifesto' art exhibit conceptualises what it'd be like to give the city a Golden Age makeover.

Staff Writer

This Italian Artist Reimagines Downtown Cairo Through a Nostalgic Lens

The coolest addition to the Cairo art scene is credited to Italian artist Qarm Qart’s latest exhibition at Mashrabia Gallery. The work reconceptualises Cairo’s downtown streets as an imaginary museum, adorning its dust-covered cement walls with the images of Egypt’s most treasured Golden Age icons.

'Imaginary Graffiti Manifesto' by Qarm Qart (aka Carmine Cartolano) is the artist’s fifth solo exhibition at Mashrabia Gallery, and is curated by Flavia Malusardi. The artist has been living in the capital since 1999 where he teaches Italian and draws from popular cultural iconography in his works.

The fictional depiction of the downtown streets ushers a feeling of nostalgia that's super on-brand with the already charming Art Deco style present underneath Cairo’s vintage architecture. All we need now is to slap on a tarboush and go for a lemonata at Casino El Nil.