The Pyramids of Giza have never been more alive. Earlier this month, the Grand Egyptian Museum finally unveiled its full collections to the world with a glittering inauguration attended by royalty and world leaders, and now, the Giza Plateau has been transformed into an open-air gallery thanks to the arrival of the fifth edition of Forever is Now.
Running until 6 December, Forever is Now will see the Giza Plateau taken over by 10 large-scale contemporary art installations. Organised by cultural platform Art D’Egypte, the exhibition brings fresh artworks, artists and themes each year to the 4,500-year-old site. This year, artists were invited to explore the concept of immortality – a central belief in ancient Egypt, where kings built tombs for the afterlife. The goal is to spark a dialogue between the past, cultural heritage and contemporary art.
“All of the artworks have a connection with ancient Egypt,” says founder Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, standing in front of Alexandre Farto’s Doors of Cairo. “What stands out this year is that we have several artists who are very important internationally.”
Among them are 92-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee Michelangelo Pistoletto, a key figure in the Italian Arte Povera movement, which translates as ‘poor art’ and emphasises the use of humble, unconventional materials. Portuguese artist Farto, also known as Vhils, is celebrated for his unique technique of carving portraits into walls and urban surfaces.
For Doors of Cairo, Vhils collected discarded doorways from Cairo’s Garbage City, where generations of Zabbaleen families have made a living by sorting the city’s waste. Of the 65 doors, around 40 were engraved with the faces of everyday Cairenes, as well as Hieroglyphics and Arabic calligraphy. “It’s an homage to Cairo today,” Vhils says. “My objective was to bring the people of Cairo and the everyday life of Cairo here to the Pyramids.”
