Against the backdrop of the 4,500-year-old Pyramids, a different kind of monument has risen. The fifth edition of the groundbreaking art exhibition, Forever Is Now, has returned to the UNESCO World Heritage site, transforming the Giza plateau into a vast open-air museum where the ancient and the contemporary engage in a profound conversation about time, legacy, and the human quest for eternity.
The annual exhibition, the only one of its kind sanctioned to take place at the foot of the Pyramids, brings together artists from across the region and the world. Their site-specific installations are not merely placed before the architectural marvels but are designed to converse with them. The Pyramids, symbols of ancient power and enigmatic vessels of myth, become both a canvas and a co-curator, challenging artists to respond to their immense presence and layered histories.
“This year, we delve into the deep cultural significance of the pyramids, exploring the mystical allure of ancient Egypt and its profound influence on art, culture, and philosophy,” the exhibition’s curatorial perspective states. At the heart of this exploration is the theme of immortality—a desire literally set in stone by the Pharaohs, now re-examined through a modern lens.
Forever Is Now 05 is framed as an ode to Egypt’s monumental past, but also an interrogation of its role in our present. In a world often described as tumultuous, the exhibition looks to the “enigmatic wisdom of ancient Egyptian beliefs,” delving into themes of transcendence, hope, and faith. It operates on the conviction that there is no conception of the future without history.
“The exhibition asks a powerful question: What stories will we leave behind? What truths and myths will define us for future generations?” said a representative. “As eternal witnesses, the Pyramids challenge us to consider how our present will be woven into the legends of tomorrow.”
The participating artists engage with this challenge by drawing direct inspiration from ancient Egyptian motifs. They reinterpret patterns found in hieroglyphics, ceremonial garments, and artifacts, even extending their gaze to the celestial patterns in the sky above Giza. Through large-scale installations and sculptural interventions, they echo the rhythms of ancient craftsmanship and the vibrant colors of the Egyptian palette, often fused with modern technology and materials.
These contemporary works explore symbolic cycles of life, death, and rebirth, creating a visual dialogue where fact and fiction converge. They encourage viewers to reconsider how myth and design shape our understanding of place and time.
More than a simple revival of history, Forever Is Now positions itself as a active contributor to a contemporary artistic legacy in a place of unparalleled historical significance. By allowing modern voices to reinterpret the meaning of endurance in the shadow of the world’s most enduring structures, the exhibition ensures that the narrative of the Giza plateau—a crossroads for millennia—continues to evolve with each new generation of seekers and artists.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Douha Essafi)
