Art D’Égypte has withdrawn its invitation to French sculptor Bernar Venet to take part in the sixth edition of Forever Is Now, its contemporary art exhibition at the Giza Pyramids. The foundation announced the decision on social media after Egyptian artists and cultural figures objected to Venet’s links with Israeli art institutions. The exhibition runs from 4 to 28 November.
The criticism focused on two parts of Venet’s record. In 2022 he received an award from American Friends of the Israel Museums, and he is listed among the artists represented by Har-El Gallery in Israel. As the debate grew, visual artist Alaa Abdel Hamid became the first to announce he was pulling out of the show, and Amani Moussa and Aliaa Eissa followed. A group of artists then issued a joint statement saying Venet’s participation clashed with their rejection of cultural normalisation with Israel.
In its statement, the foundation said the decision reflected its core values and its respect for voices inside and outside the artistic community, and reaffirmed its support for Egypt’s position on the Palestinian cause. It added that credibility depends on correcting errors, noting that institutions do not keep their standing “solely by recognizing mistakes”. Venet’s career spans more than six decades, and his honours include France’s Legion of Honour in 2005 and the International Sculpture Centre’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. His best-known work is Le Grand Arc, a 60-metre sculpture in Belgium, and he also received the Julio González International Prize in 2013.
Reaction from the art scene has been largely positive, though not without reservations about the timing. Visual artist Shaaban Elhosiny welcomed the move but said it should have been announced from the outset to avoid the tension that followed. Artist Eman Osama praised the foundation for keeping artists informed throughout the dispute and for taking the legal and formal steps needed to resolve it in line with the community’s position.
The episode comes weeks before one of the most visible dates on Egypt’s cultural calendar. Forever Is Now brings Egyptian and international artists to the plateau to explore the links between ancient heritage and contemporary practice, with site-specific installations and large-scale works set against the pyramids. This year’s themes include continuity, cultural memory and the dialogue between past and present. The foundation has not said whether the artists who withdrew in protest will now rejoin the line-up.
