A panel discussion titled When the Photograph Becomes an Object, to be monitored by art consultants Saida El-Harakany and curator Aleya Hamza, will be held at Photopia on 18 February. The discussion will address various topics surrounding the crossover of photography into contemporary art, art and photography markets (selling one's work, or setting a price for one's photography, for instance) and market success stories. The speakers will also shed light on the evolution of photography in the past twenty-years, conceptual photography, the phenomenon of museum photography collections, and many other points which are key to understanding the modern photography market. Aleya Hamza is an independent curator behind Cairo's Gypsum Gallery, which she founded in 2013. After obtaining her Master's degree in Art History from Goldsmiths College in London, in 2001, she went on to start her career as a curator and lectured at the American University in Cairo. She has worked as a curator at various venues such as Townhouse and the Contemporary Image Collective. Her projects and exhibitions have been featured in various cities across the world including Cairo, Alexandria, New York, London, Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, and Dubai. Saida El Harakany is the founder of Adsum, the first homegrown art consulting firm in the Middle East, which aims to bridge the gap between the art market and those wishing to understand and acquire art. El Harakany holds a Bachelor's degree and Master's in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University, and has also studied art at the American University in Cairo. She is a participant in the Sotheby's Institute “Business in the Art World” executive programme. Programme: Saturday 18 February, at 7 pm Photopia, 15 Somal street, Heliopolis, Cairo For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
