Among the pieces on display at the country's first exhibition of sculpture made out of scrap metal was an intricate creation by Abdu Ramzi, who specialises in iron sculpture, and this stood out for its masterful composition. According to Salah Al-Meligui, former head of the Ministry of Culture's fine arts department, the event was planned to coincide with the birthday of pioneering Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar, who was born on 10 May 1891, and this also determined the choice of venue for the symposium. Among the artists honoured was the late Salah Abdel-Karim (1925-1988), who often used scrap metal in his work, though he also excelled in painting, ceramics, and decorative pieces. He is perhaps best remembered for his iron sculptures, which were inspired by the ready-made art movement that takes everyday objects out of their usual contexts and re-presents them in unusual ways. The idea is to challenge viewers and to encourage them to appreciate the extraordinary aspects of ordinary objects. Abdel-Karim himself once said that “we live in a century of metal, and therefore we need to change the art of sculpture. Sculptors work with a void and attempt to engage the sun and the air in their creations. Instead of working with a mass of material and starting from the surface and moving inwards, I would rather start from the inside and move outwards in my work.” His exceptional scrap-metal pieces, including such landmark works as A Monster's Cry, brought him international acclaim. Among the artists participating in the symposium were Tarek Al-Komi and Hisham Abdallah, both of whom have significant previous experience with this medium. For other artists, such as Ola Moussa, Asaad Saad, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah, Ahmed Moussa, Abdu Ramzi, Kamal Al-Fiqi and Hani Al-Sayed, the event was a foray into more unusual territory. Al-Meligui said the symposium had been the result of cooperation among various government and private agencies. “I am thrilled to see this symposium turn into reality,” he said, adding that “it is like a dream come true, and I hope it will provide an incentive for Egypt's sculptors to engage in new forms of art that go against inherited norms and conventional ways of working.” The symposium was made possible due to cooperation, now resulting in a third major event, between the fine arts department of the ministry and the Commercial International Bank, Al-Meligui said. It was curated by Ahmed Setouhi, Shams Al-Qoronfoli and Omar Touson, and its publicity materials were designed by Hani Al-Ashqar. T-shirts bearing images of Abdel-Karim's work were available for artists to wear during the symposium. Al-Qoronfoli said that this was the first event of its type to be organised by the fine arts department, and he added that work produced during the symposium would be available for use in public spaces “so as to create stimulation for the public, in keeping with the spirit of the revolution.” The event was an important one for Egyptian sculpture, he said, being an opportunity for artists to meet and exchange experiences and for the appreciation of art to be boosted among the wider public. Ola Moussa, who was working with scrap metal for the first time, had made a piece featuring five young people who represented the youth of the revolution. “They are standing in a semi-circle, like equals,” she commented, “since the revolution itself had no leader.” Asaad Farahat, also working in the medium for the first time, said that the event had been a turning point. “It is the first event of its kind to be held in Cairo, and it has allowed art students to see artists at work, rather than be introduced to their work only once it has taken on its final form,” he said.
