interview: art d’égypte/culturvator presents forever is now 03
Following two successful editions with artworks by SpY and JR, Forever is Now returns to Egypt this year with a third edition running from October 26 until November 18, 2023. This annual event is the first and only contemporary art exhibition taking place at the Pyramids of Giza, a 4,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site, and its surrounding plateau. Bringing together global artists to reflect on the enduring legacy of one of humanity’s most compelling and mysterious structures, it traces the continuity of themes that stretch from our ancient past to the present day while paying homage to the ingenuity and reflections of human civilization and art.
Former art advisor turned curator Nadine Abdel Ghaffa first launched Forever is Now in 2021, fundamentally changing Egypt’s cultural landscape since then. Born in Alexandria to French and Egyptian parents, Nadine leveraged her mixed background to launch herself into the art world, kickstarting her journey with a fascination for Alexandria — a city where art, architecture, and archaeology take center stage. ‘I have merged all three three into what Art D’Égypte originally was,‘ she tells designboom in a recent interview.
Greetings from Giza (2021) by JR | image © Hesham Alsaifi
In 2016, Nadine established Art D’Égypte as a multi-disciplinary platform to support Egyptian arts and cultural initiatives. Since 2021, the firm led the annual Forever is Now exhibition at the Pyramids of Giza, turning itself into a powerhouse with growing international recognition, year on year. The numbers speak for themselves: Over a million visitors combined, three million in global reach, 1,800+ international press coverages, and a billion organic views. To consolidate and support Art D’Égypte’s expanding initiatives and influence, Nadine founded Culturvator in 2023 as a global consultancy that collaborates with public and private entities to promote culture across diverse disciplines, including visual arts, film, heritage, design, and music. Read on as designboom offers a peek into this year’s exciting program and speaks to curator Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, who traces her journey into the art scene and reflects on the cultural impacts ignited by her initiatives, and beyond.
ORB Under the Same Sun (2022) by SpY | image courtesy Art D’Égypte/Culturvator
how forever is now’s third edition sets itself apart
In a recent talk with designboom, Nadine points out how this year’s edition sets itself apart by highlighting the concept of ‘play’ to transform the Giza Plateau into a space of serendipity, chance, and experimentation, with interactive sculptural artworks inviting viewers to engage. By becoming creators of their own experience and altering the outcome of each work, visitors blur the line between artist and viewer in a playground of possibilities. ‘It is a more engaging experience this year, no longer just a dialogue between the artists and the pyramids. It is now a trilogy between artist, viewer, and the ancient site,‘ she shares with us.
Beyond this interactive trilogy, Forever is Now 03 marks itself more globally than previous editions. It also reveals a special art and design festival at a second UNESCO-listed heritage site: the Salah al-Din Citadel. Running between October 22 and November 4, 2023, the festival, entitled If The Walls Could Talk, presents another instance where Art D’Égypte/Culturvator rethinks a historical space through contemporary art and culture. Essentially, If the Walls Could Talk invites the viewer to peel back the layers of time and explore the untold stories woven into the Citadel. Paintings, sculptures, and installations take over the historic space, each capturing the hidden essence of those narratives and what lies beneath the surface. In her curatorial statement, Nadine concludes that this year’s edition is all about looking ‘to the future while honoring our past, and staying rooted in the now.’
Inside Out photo booth installation by JR | image © Hesham Alsaifi
In line with Art D’Égypte’s global vision, the festival features three group exhibitions, combining more than 50 artists from around the world and the Middle East — namely Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and UAE. Participating artists include Mohamed Abla, Omar Toussoun, Gisela Colon, Jean Boghossian, eL Seed, Mohamed Abouelnaga, Christian Pellizzari, Seif El Rashidi, Hamza Bounoua, Abdulrahim Sharif, Balqees Fakhro, Adel El Siwi, Souad Abdelrasoul, Mahmoud Obaidi, Diaa Azzawy, Serwan Baran, Ghadah Alkandari, Abdelrasoul Salman, Ayman Baalbaki, Abdul Rahman Katanani, Nabil Anani, Sliman Mansour, Hassan Bourkia, Youssef Ahmed, Nasser Al Turki, Shrouq Bnt Fahad, Khaled El Owais, Salah El Mur, Youssef Abdelke, Bahram Hajou, Khaled Takreti, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Fatma Lootah and more.
image © Mo4 Network
nadine abdel ghaffar’s curatorial journey
The success behind Art D’Égypte/Culturvator, and subsequently Forever is Now, boils down to Nadine’s primal vision: connecting ancient Egyptian art to that of the 21st century. ‘The whole idea behind Art D’Egypte when it started was, really, to showcase the transcendence that Egyptian artists have with their heritage,‘ she states. This transcendence materialized with a celebration of modern art and culture amid Egypt’s heritage sites — namely the Pyramids of Giza, Tahrir Square, Salah al-Din Citadel, and historic Mu’izz Street in the heart of Cairo.
Her vision of juxtaposing contemporary art with antiquities and heritage sites came to life in 2017, igniting the four iterations organized by Art D’Égypte. Despite being met with quizzical looks and shaking heads, the first iteration, Eternal Light (2017), at the Egyptian Museum proved highly successful. ‘It was such a big hit that we started gaining the confidence of the public sector to work together. It developed into a bigger concept: Nothing Vanishes, Everything Transforms (2018) at the Manial Palace, a whole gated space that hosted a much bigger exhibition,’ Nadine tells designboom.