Contemporary/ Modern art in Cairo, Egypt

February 17, 2016 10:55 AM

I'm off to Cairo in a couple of weeks and would appreciate any tips for looking at the art scene there, from museums and galleries to events and people of interest. I'm no expert but have found post 40's art to be a growing interest of mine.
posted by quarsan to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

You shouldn't miss the Gezira Center for Modern Art. I remember it having quite a bit of really interesting contemporary stuff--more than I expected--though it's still a pretty small museum. It's also on Gezira Island, which is a nice respite from rest of the city. It's been a few years, but I don't remember any contemporary or modern art at any of the other big museums in the city. Not sure how the change in government affected things, either, since I was there at the end of the Mubarak era.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 11:56 AM on February 17, 2016

Best answer: The Townhouse Gallery was a really lovely place...that was raided by the Egyptian government in late December. You might write them to find out their current status.

Here's a recent English language list of some other options.

Not totally related, but I highly recommend the life-changing experience of visiting the "zabaleen" district of Cairo to learn about their recycling, sustainable energy practices, and religious practices. I don't have time to find a good summary right now, but there's plenty if you google. I have a friend from the neighborhood who used to give wonderful tours -- you could memail me if that's of interest.
posted by femmegrrr at 12:57 PM on February 17, 2016

Best answer: You might want to check out Mada Misr's Culture page - they often profile what's current and upcoming in Cairo's art scene.

And according to them, the Townhouse Gallery is working on securing its permits and is hoping to open again soon.
posted by scrute at 5:08 PM on February 17, 2016

Response by poster: Thank you all for those suggestions. They're on the list, as is a visit to the Zabaleen. I'm welcome more and also for Alexandria - I'm hoping to spend a couple of days there too.
posted by quarsan at 11:17 PM on February 17, 2016