The sixth Caravan Exhibition of Visual Art, titled "Amen: A Prayer For The World", opened 17 June at the El-Bab Gallery, located in the grounds of the Cairo Opera House, showcasing 30 life-size sculptures in four different prayer positions. The sculptures are modelled after Amun, the god of ancient Thebes from the 11th dynasty (21st century BC), captured in four serene prayer poses, and painted by 30 contemporary Egyptian artists. Their stillness was untroubled, and provided a dramatic contrast with the bustling crowd making its way across the narrow hall and around the sculptures. The sculptures will remain on display in Cairo until 1 July, when the exhibition will travel to Washington DC on 30 August, followed by New York on 12 October. They will be joined in the US by 18 other sculptures painted by international artists. This year each of the 48 participating artists will paint one life-size fibreglass sculpture in one of four poses of prayer, sculpted by Reda Abdel-Rahman. The annual Caravan Exhibition of Visual Art is the flagship initiative of non-profit organisation Caravan. The yearly show seeks to use art as a tool to promote intercultural and inter-religious solidarity. Amen, A Prayer for the World is co-curated by Caravan president, Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler, and Egyptian artist Reda Abdel-Rahman. The exhibiting artists include prominent painters such as Farghaly Abdel-Hafiz, Mohamed Abla, Salah El-Meligui, and contemporary artists including Amr El-Kafrawy, Marwa Adel and Wael Darwish, among others. Programme: 17 June to July 1 El-Bab Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Cairo Opera House grounds, Zamalek http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/104150.aspx
