Curatorial Statement

Eternal Light

Artists drew from the spirits of ancient Egyptian ancestors and that was a fantastic motive to reach the depths of our heritage, making a firm bond between pharaonic civilizations and the modernist concepts.

Amid a silent dialogue between the artist and his background, on multiple levels artists transcended on many levels to translate that soul into an art piece directly and indirectly.

Egyptians are blessed with a great legacy to carry on. Until this very day archaeologists are discovering the secrets their ancestors left behind through priceless artifacts and monuments. At the same time, modern and contemporary Egyptian artists seek to do justice and pay tribute to their rich and unique cultural heritage, which presents an unprecedented range of topics for inspiration, including deep philosophical ideas of the era, the use of colors, the geometric accuracy, consistency and repetition, the relationship between humans, nature and animals as well as the impressive posture of human beings in mural paintings and sculptures.

There is no doubt that Egyptian artists are meticulous observers of the eclecticism of their cultural heritage. Combining both intricate details and the powerful energy rising from ancient paintings, sculptures and architecture, the journey of coming closer to history is nevertheless very long and requires a lot of effort to understand the mysteriousness of Ancient Egypt.

However, the artists’ aim is to find a suitable vernacular to translate the many layers of ancient Egyptian art into a modern and contemporary language, and to ensure that the eternal flow of energy and light continues.

The purpose of the ground-breaking exhibition ‘Eternal Light: Something Old, Something New’ is precisely to highlight those extraordinary attempts of interpreting ancient cultural heritage into modern and contemporary artworks. It features a selection of artists who bring to life the flow of light and energy of Egypt’s history, connecting its past to its present. The main focus of the exhibition is also to shed light on the influences and inspiration for these artists’ works, juxtaposing artworks and artifacts in a way to confront the past with the present.

‘Eternal Light: Something Old, Something New’ offers the unique opportunity to the visitor to travel back in time and to participate in taking responsibility of carrying the eternal light from past to present. The juxtaposition of contemporary artworks with ancient artifacts will further underline the importance of preserving ancient cultural heritage and its seminal role in shaping present and future societies.

Nadine A. Ghaffar