In her book “The Art of Making Dances,” early 20th century contemporary dance pioneer Doris Humphrey observed “all dances are too long.” This couldn’t have been truer in the case of a 30-minute piece entitled “Exit does not Exit” choreographed by Shaymaa Shokry under the mentorship of Laurence Rondoni. Opening the third 2B Continued Festival …

Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mukhtar (1891–1934) is widely viewed as the godfather of modern Egyptian sculpture. Apart from his artistic success and iconic status as a pioneer in modern Egyptian sculpture, Mukhtar’s trajectory reflects Egypt’s turbulent and dynamic atmosphere from the outset of the 20th century to the interwar period. Mukhtar exerted a profound influence on …

  For more than a decade, the Townhouse Gallery has acted as a catalyst nurturing independent arts, fulfilling its mission to promote contemporary art within the Middle East and internationally. It has done so by hosting a variety of cultural and educational events, including theater and experimental music performances, film screenings, public lectures and workshops …

It’s unfortunate that today we see more pertinence and understanding of the social structure and construct in which we live in from product, fashion and furniture designers — our applied artists — than we do from our visual artists. It has become exceedingly difficult to hear of a contemporary artist who has managed to persevere …

A stone’s throw away from the underground station near Qasr El-Nil Bridge is Egypt’s Modern Art Museum on the Opera House grounds, surrounded by green manicured lawns that separate visitors from the bustle of Cairo. It was not always nestled peacefully in this Zamalek site. The seeds of the idea were first sown by the …

  Mark Twain was the kind of man who might tell an off-color joke, then grievously apologize, who wrote stories and essays he knew would offend and kept others private for the same reason. A century after his death, Mark Twain remains censored, and uncensored. The author and humorist worried enough about what he could …

As the inauguration of the 2011 Cairo International Book Fair approaches, getting up to speed on this year’s top Arabic novels, many of which have been translated into English, is imperative. The shortlist for this year’s International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is a good place to start. The IPAF, popularly known as the Arabic …

Like most budding world cinemas, Arab cinema continues to suffer from a severe state of inconsistency. The excitement induced by a strong, diverse selection of films screened across the region in 2009 signaled a new direction for a stronger, more focused Arab cinema. Alas, prophecies turned to be false as the last batch of Arabic …

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, who wrote the worldwide bestseller "The Alchemist," accused Iran Monday of banning his books. "My books have been published in Iran since 1998, in different publishing houses," Coelho wrote on his website http://paulocoelhoblog.com, noting estimates that over six million copies of his books have sold in the country. Calling it an …

CAIRO- Call it a quintessentially Egyptian habit, but no sooner had the explosions rocked Alexandria’s Al-Qeddesine (Church of the Two Saints) during the early hours of 2011 than melodies of national unity sprang nationwide. Frustrated with the system, activists took to the streets daily for the week following the attacks, chanting against what they branded …

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan came under fire Monday for deriding a monument to friendship with neighboring Armenia and ordering its destruction. The country’s culture minister sought to soothe the criticism, arguing that Erdogan was misunderstood. "We would never show disrespect to the work of any artist. We would never attempt to destroy and …

The filmmakers behind Academy Awards favorites "The Social Network" and "The King’s Speech" were nominated Monday for the Directors Guild of America’s top prize. Along with David Fincher and Tom Hooper, nominees were Darren Aronofsky for the psychosexual thriller "The Black Swan," Christopher Nolan for the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception" and David O. Russell for the …

British filmmaker Peter Yates, who sent Steve McQueen screeching through the streets of San Francisco in a Ford Mustang in "Bullitt," has died at the age of 81. Yates was nominated for four Academy Awards — two as director and two as producer — for the cycling tale "Breaking Away" and the backstage drama "The …

CAIRO: Ahmad Hamid remembers being a young boy watching his mother and her friends gather for their weekly tea and sewing get together at his family’s house on Sunday mornings. He recalls the ladies sipping tea, chatting and working on their clothes while sitting at the family’s rather large dining table with room to drape …

The road to Oscar brought a blast of expected contenders to this desert town some 100 miles east of Hollywood as the Palm Springs International Film Festival held its annual awards gala. Among those attending the Saturday night affair was James Franco, a likely Academy Award nominee for the drama "127 Hours" and also co-host …

It is not always easy to produce theater work for children that is simultaneously interesting for adults. This is the thought that ran through my mind while sitting down to watch the first scenes of “The Invention,” presented by ACT, the Alumni Community Theater group of the American University in Cairo. The play, presented in …

KHARTOUM: Adored nationwide, Sudanese musical icon and former exile Mohammed Wardi, who hails from the Nubian north and has sung about unity for decades, says he will be saddened to see his beloved country split. "For me as a singer who sang for unity for 54 years, what is happening is too difficult… I am …

By Elizabeth Vossen They said they came because they love their country; because they want to see Christians and Muslims unified; because they’re disheartened by the violent events in Alexandria that marked the beginning of the New Year. On Coptic Christmas, January 7, Darb 1718, a cultural center located in the heart of Old Cairo, hosted …

CAIRO: Archaeologists have unearthed six missing pieces from a 3,400-year-old colossal double statue of a powerful pharaoh and his queen. The Supreme Council of Antiquities said in a statement Sunday the fragments of the statue of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye were discovered on the west bank of the Nile in the southern city of …

CAIRO: In a letter to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Egypt’s antiquities chief Zahi Hawass threatened to take back the Egyptian obelisk placed in Central Park citing a lack of proper care that led to the monument’s deterioration. According to Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, weather conditions in New York have …

US actor Robert De Niro will chair the jury of this year’s Cannes film festival, which opens May 11 on the French Riviera, organizers announced Thursday. De Niro, 67, will be the third American in four years to head the jury of the world’s most prestigious film festival, after director Tim Burton in 2010 and …

The old school hip hop styling of Katibe 5 filled the Beirut Theater on Dec. 30, as the underground band gave one of their most high profile performances to date. The performance at Beirut’s hub of underground music was an end-of-year highlight for Beirut music fans, always eager to take in a performance by edgy …

Egypt has always been the cultural heart of the Arab world and the recent regional art revival has shown that the country still sets the standard for arts and culture in the region. While the Gulf countries are seeing massive cultural development prompted by generous government initiatives and a seemingly endless supply of funding, Egypt’s …

This month, Tache Art opens its doors, for the very first time, with a retrospective exhibition for Egypt’s internationally acclaimed artist, Huda Lutfi. We are a brand new gallery, in Egypt, dedicated to contemporary Egyptian art. Located in Designopolis — the country’s first art and design hub — we hope to play a part in …

I f you have not been to the leafy Maadi home and studio of Margo Veillon on Road 82, nor had the time to visit any of her exhibitions, it’s not too late to enjoy her works of genius. The late Swiss-Austrian artist by blood and Egyptian by choice was born in Cairo on Feb. 19, …

A lways closely associated with ancient art and artefacts, Egypt’s vibrant modern art scene is consistently overshadowed by imposing monuments from the past. The recent record-breaking auction of works by modern Egyptian artist Mahmoud Said has, however, brought the country’s contemporary art scene out of the shadows. Said’s painting “Les Chadoufs” brought in a staggering $2.43 …

T here’s something about Amal Kenawy. Intriguing, warm but with a hint of coolness, open yet reserved, Amal Kenawy is like her living room which inspires wonder the moment one enters. It’s a clearly unique space, with her multi-faceted personality asserting its identity. It’s colorful and playful, a room which draws you in, and encourages you …

Huge hits such as "True Grit" and "Inception" will be up against smaller films that include "127 Hours" and "The Kids Are All Right" for screenplay honors from the Writers Guild of America. "Inception" and "The Kids Are All Right" were among guild nominees for best original screenplay, along "Black Swan," "The Fighter" and the …

The Facebook tale "The Social Network," the British monarchy drama "The King’s Speech" and the sci-fi blockbuster "Inception" were among best-picture nominees Tuesday for the Producers Guild of America Awards. Other nominees are the survival story "127 Hours," the psychosexual thriller "Black Swan," the boxing saga "The Fighter," the lesbian family tale "The Kids Are …

“Jack of all trades, master of none.” This saying accurately epitomizes the new French dance show, unoriginally entitled “Show Dance,” which made its way to Cairo this week. Offering up a plethora of subpar dance numbers spanning a wide spectrum of styles, including Latin, rock ‘n’ roll, swing, flamenco, and boogie to name a few, …