When Cairo heaves, the whole world feels the vibrations — or so the millions of people who live here like to think of their bustling abode. But what happens when Cairo's donkeys travel to one of the most venerable religious sites in London? The outcome, as this show at St Paul's Cathedral proves, can be breathtaking. In September, 25 fibreglass donkeys, painted by Egyptian and European artists, travelled from Cairo to London to be exhibited at this unusual location. The life-size inanimate beasts are soon to be auctioned off for charity. Sponsored by the British Council and the Swiss Embassy in London, the show is part of the fifth Caravan Festival of the Arts, organised by the Episcopal Church of St John the Baptist in Cairo, which has served as a centre for interfaith dialogue for several decades. The Reverend Canon Mark Oakly of St Paul's said, “There are more than 40 million donkeys on this earth and 96 percent of them live alongside the poorest people of the world.” Mark Stephens, the British Council director in Egypt, added, “We are delighted that the Caravan Festival of the Arts has forged a link with St Paul's Cathedral to bring these beautiful decorated donkeys to a London audience.” As the show opened in London, posters showing the donkeys were plastered on billboards across the city, announcing the event held at the site that, 32 years ago, hosted the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. The exhibition, named “In Peace and With Compassion”, is designed to send a message of interfaith solidarity at a moment of political turmoil in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Watching the parade of donkeys at St Paul's, one is reminded of the excitement of life in Cairo, a city unparalleled around the Mediterranean for its eccentric vibrancy and odd colour. One has the feeling that the donkeys bring to life the soulful compositions and extraordinary imagery of a city that takes its passions for granted. Back in Cairo, news of the street clashes may be unsettling, but at St Paul's the imagery is calm and composed, rising above it all, distilling the wisdom that lurks beneath the disturbance. At home, the curfew brought a few moments' stillness to the endless groaning of a city in transition while in London it seemed the donkeys were settling easily into a new life of retirement. The Cairo art scene continues to churn out all the usual manifestations of the beautiful and the bizarre. The young still sing and make movies, paint and compose music, write stories and poetry, sculpt statues and look for something new. The Reverend Paul-Gordon Chandler, rector of the Cairo-based Church of St John the Baptist and founder of Caravan, said, “Arts can be one of the most effective mediums of building bridges of understanding, respect and friendship between East and West.” Chandler, who lived in Egypt for over 10 years, is well-known to the city's artists, including the curator of this year's show, Reda Abdel-Rahman. Together Chandler and Abdel-Rahman designed the show to emphasise the common bonds between Eastern and Western traditions. And they both see the donkeys as creatures of immense symbolism. Donkeys have been a major method of transportation in Egypt for centuries, and today you still see them competing for space in Cairo's crowded streets, jostling with their mechanical competitors, the Suzuki vehicles for cargo and the buses and automobiles for passenger freight. Arab artists participating in the show include Adel Nasif, Adel Tharwat, Ahmed Al-Kut, Ahmed Kassim, Ashraf Reda, Ayman Al-Semari, Carelle Homsy, Farid Fadel, Gamal Ezz, George Bahgory, Hayam Abdel-Baky, Hend Adnan, Ibrahim Al-Dessouki, Karim Abdel-Malak, Khaled Hafez, Marwa Adel, Moataz Nasreddin, Mohamed Abla, Mohamed Talaat, Rania Fouad, Reda Abdel-Rahman, Sabah Naim and Sameh Ismail. Western artists include Anne-Françoise Giraud from France and Claire Marie Pearman from the UK. The exhibition runs in London from 30 August to 25 September. The donkeys will be auctioned by Sotheby's and the proceedings will be used to fund charity projects for the needy, regardless of religion, in Egypt.
