Last night, Art D’Egypte inaugurated the exhibition “A Tale of Two Cities” in Alexandria under the title “Geography and Mystery”, hosted by the Graeco-Roman Museum from September 1 to 20, 2025.
The exhibition is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo and the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture. Curated by Alessandro Castiglioni, it showcases the photographic works of renowned Italian artists Marina Ballo Charmet and Stefano Cagol. This exhibition continues the cultural dialogue initiative “A Tale of Two Cities”, previously held at the MA*GA Museum in Gallarate, Italy, in July 2025.
Following an intensive research phase conducted in Italy and at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the exhibition places the artists in an open dialogue with natural geography, historical relics, and archaeological discoveries that connect the history of the Mediterranean with its future. The event takes place in a major museum institution founded in 1891 by the Italian Egyptologist Giuseppe Botti, dedicated to fostering Mediterranean dialogue and highlighting Alexandria’s role as a crossroads of civilizations between the Greek and Roman worlds—an influence that culminated with the rise of Coptic Christianity.
Drawing on this unique historical backdrop, the exhibition transforms photography into a bridge across time, linking historical narratives with environmental and climatic dynamics, while reaffirming art’s role as a medium of dialogue between past, present, and future. The exhibition also reflects ongoing cultural cooperation between Egypt and Italy, embodying a shared vision to strengthen Mediterranean artistic exchange and to spotlight Alexandria’s pivotal role in global history and culture.
The exhibition remains open to the public until September 20, 2025, at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria.
Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art D’Egypte, stated:
“We are delighted to continue the A Tale of Two Cities initiative through the exhibition ‘Geography and Mystery’ in Alexandria. Hosting this event at the Graeco-Roman Museum marks a significant moment, placing contemporary art in a living dialogue with thousands of years of history. Alexandria has always been, and still is, a meeting point of civilizations. Today, through art, we reaffirm this role and build new bridges between past, present, and future. We are proud of this cultural partnership with our Italian counterparts and believe that such initiatives enhance Egypt’s position as a leading platform for artistic and cultural dialogue in the region and the world.”
Alessandro Castiglioni added:
“A distinctive feature of Ballo’s and Cagol’s work is their ability to explore places—their history, identity, and nature. This project stems from that perspective, expanding into a broader geographical analysis. In our times, the sciences and practices of geography acquire an entirely new significance. It is not merely about exhibiting or documenting: geographical practice becomes an act of awareness and knowledge. It is a gesture of discovery and affection. We are not speaking of an assertive, definitive geography, but of a project that investigates the boundaries of knowledge and ignorance—a sense of wonder before history, nature, the visible and the invisible. Hence the title: ‘Geography and Mystery’.”
