Artoday Brings Egyptian and Arab Artists to Rome Art Week

37 artists from around the world will participate in Artoday’s Border Crossing exhibition, including 9 Egyptian artists and several Arab artists
More than two hundred art galleries and over five hundred artists participating in Rome Art Week, with nearly 500 events ranging from exhibitions to open studios and various cultural projects

Today marks the opening of Egypt’s participation in Rome Art Week (RAW), with an exhibition organized by Artoday under the title “Border Crossing Hypothesis” and inaugurated by PhD. Marwa Ali Fawzi, Cultural Attache in Rome and Head of the Educational Mission in Italy, and Counselor Nevine Elsaeed, Deputy Chief of the Egyptian Mission to Italy and Chargé d’Affaires on behalf of Ambassador Bassam Rady, Egyptian Ambassador to Italy, in addition to Maya Vetri, Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Rome, Marwa Fawzy, Egyptian Cultural Attaché in Rome, as well as the Founder of Rome Art Week Massimiliano Padovan Di Benedetto.

Artoday Brings Egyptian and Arab Artists to Rome Art Week - El-Shai

The exhibition runs from October 22nd until the 10th of November 2024, featuring nine talented Egyptian artists from the vibrant Egyptian art scene, highlighting their works at one of the key art events in Italy. Through this exhibition and the totality of its work, Artoday aims to empower artists through their artistic expression and build on the endless opportunities offered by art to promote cultural exchange between civilizations.

In addition to Egyptian artists, Border Crossing features the works of Arab artists from the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, along with Sudanese artist Safaa Mohammed, who participates under the umbrella of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Curating the exhibit were Shereen Badr, Pamela Fiacconi and Massimo Scaringella, who chose to showcase a selection of artworks varying from paintings to sculptors, and immersive art.

The exhibition will be hosted at the Egyptian Cultural Center in Rome, while its concept was made possible by the amalgamation of collaborative efforts including a notable cooperation with the Art for All Center – an affiliate of the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services to support the participation of Arab and differently-abled artists from the UAE, Palestine, Syria, and Jordan. Speakers from the Art for All Center will also provide their insights during a seminar titled “Cultural Conversations: The Role of Art in Shaping the Human Experience,” which highlights the importance of art in representing its originating culture and empowering its individuals while supporting human causes and encouraging dialogue around diverse human perspectives.

Through another enriching collaboration with the British University in Egypt, Artoday provides an exciting opportunity for university students to participate in the event and gain exposure to the international art scene at its home in Italy.

Supporting Artoday’s vision to promote the development of creative industries and individual excellence are a number of strategic partners, including the Hope Giver Campaign represented by its founder and leading athlete Anwar El-Kamony, in addition to Gemini Africa, a private sector accelerator dedicated to developing the creative sector in Egypt and Africa, as well as Track3 Consulting.

UntitleArtoday Brings Egyptian and Arab Artists to Rome Art Week - El-Shai

During the opening, and speaking from the perspective of an initiative that has spanned 34 countries, Anwar El-Kamony, Founder of the Hope Giver Campaign, will address the importance of maximizing the role of sports and art in shaping awareness and encouraging constructive initiatives that can accelerate economic, social, and individual development across different cultures and communities.

The opening will also feature a screening of the film “Ballet Dreams,” brought by Gemini Africa, which follows the journey of a girl dreaming of pursuing art despite the unfavorable context of time and place.

Massimiliano Padovan, Founder of Rome Art Week, who participated in the opening of the Egyptian pavilion at RAW, expressed his “pleasure to see Egyptian and Arab artists at the heart of this thriving global art event. It only reflects the power of art to enable direct interactions and human and cultural exchange in their best form.” Massimiliano founded Rome Art Week in 2014, starting his career in creativity and digital design before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey by establishing the Kou Gallery, which provided a pioneering space for emerging artists to showcase their work, becoming one of Italy’s key contemporary art destinations and hosting artistic as well as charitable events.

Shereen Badr, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer behind Artoday, showed extreme pride of this exhibition, stating that “We always strive to highlight the artistic works of talented Egyptian artists, especially outstanding works by women, and to provide them with the opportunity to be part of global art events. It’s is part of our overall strategy to empower women and Egyptian artists and win them their deserved spot on the map of global art. We also consistently integrate differently-abled and refugee artists in all of our events to affirm that everyone has a chance to express themselves and achieve empowerment and cultural communication through art.”

Nazli Madkour stands as the most prominent Egyptian artist participating in the exhibition, alongside rising talents including Reem Osama, Asmaa El Nawawy, Weam Ali, Weaam El-Masry, Ahmed Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Barakat, Rania Abu Elazm and Gehan Fayez.

The exhibition also provides platform to twenty participating artists from Italy, in addition to artists from Brazil, Argentina, India, Lebanon, Albania and Japan.

RAW is characterized by its widespread and varied activities which bring about the participation of more than two hundred art galleries and more than five hundred artists in nearly 500 events.

The Border Crossing exhibition will cover a number of training workshops and seminars discussing the challenges facing women in their art careers, in addition to a talk on architecture in partnership with the Catholic University of Milan, and a seminar highlighting the role of art in supporting humanitarian causes.

The exhibition is an extension of Artoday’s efforts to promote Egyptian art on a global level, which previously brought Egyptian art to key industry events in Italy, Sweden, Germany and the United States.

About Artoday:

Artoday is a vibrant and visionary art organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the flourishing art scene in Egypt. With a strong commitment to nurturing local talent and taking Egyptian modern art to a global stage, Artoday has become a driving force in the art world, bridging the gap between established artists and emerging talents.

At Artoday, we believe in the transformative power of art and its ability to transcend boundaries.

A vision that we enact with local and international artists, as we continue to organize our annual flagship Empower Her Art Forum, in addition to bringing Egyptian modern art to new audiences around the world.