Dialogue between past and present: Giza pyramids host 6th edition of 'Forever is Now' exhibition

The sixth edition of Art d'Egypte's ‘Forever Is Now’ exhibition is set against the Pyramids of Giza.

The Egyptian landscape and its ancient monuments are more than just a backdrop, they also provide the works’ conceptual anchor, creating a dialogue between past and present.

French-American multimedia artist Raphaele Shirley is the creator of 'Passage,' a series of metal and woven palm reed arches stretching into the desert.

"It’s a portal in a way, but where people can walk through and experience the pyramids and also experience the space in which they’re in," Shirley says, "and then there’s a series of panels that represent different motifs that are all abstract rooted from research that I’ve done on the Egyptian heritage, but also trying to connect those motifs to other universal motifs that exist, throughout different cultures all over the world."

The works of art in the almost month-long show prompt viewers to see how after 4,500 years, the pyramids still provide a reference for contemporary art.

French artist Geoffroy Pithon's 'Hortus Pictus' is also on display in Giza.

"It’s like painting architecture, imaginary or poetic garden emerges from the desert," he says, "and yes, looking for a radical contrast between the desert and atmosphere and my powerful energy of color, and also to frame the pyramid inside my painting.”

This year’s edition is primarily led by female artists. As well as continuity, it takes up themes of spatial order, and cultural memory, asking what it means to build something that outlasts its creator.

The exhibition runs until November 28.