"The Key" is the Eighth CARAVAN travelling exhibition of visual art to feature at the Nile Art gallery showcasing the works of 40 premier and emerging Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Western artists using the world's most ancient symbol of harmony, that originated in Egypt, the "Key of Life", (Ankh), to deliver a message of hope for a harmonious, peaceful and tolerant world. The show portrays each artist's modern three-dimensional fiberglass depiction of the ancient Ankh, or “Key of Life”, using the symbol to advocate the message that all people, from East and West, can live in a peaceful and harmonious world. The key symbol, known in ancient Egypt as the Ankh and the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic characters that reads the word "Life", is seen as the oldest known symbol of tolerance and harmony. "The Key" exhibition is co-curated by CARAVAN founder and president, the Reverend Paul-Gordon Chandler, and noted Egyptian artist Reda Abdel-Rahman, who is also the sculptor of the form of the Ankh for this show and he also doubles as one of several of the participating artists. The 40 participating artists include a diverse range, from renowned contemporary artists to promising emerging artists, employing different mediums, and coming from the different monotheistic religious backgrounds. The exhibition featuresamong many othersAhmed Abdel Fattah,Ahmed Albahrani,Ahmed El Shaer,Ahmed Saber,Amal Nasr,Anat Ratzabi,Arabella Dorman,Atef Ahmed,Elisabeth Bolza, Enas Abdel-Moneim,Esmat Dawestashy,Farouk Wahba, Fatma Abdel-Rahman,Guirguis Bekhit,IsaacDaniel,Lina Alattar,Maher Guirguis,Marjorie Guyon,Peter W. Gray,SalahAl-Mur. The exhibition is scheduled to run through 12 April at the gallery, and it will then move on to be recreated in London where it will be running from 15 June to 15 August at James's Piccadilly and will finally travel to New York in the fall where it will be showcased in its final destination at London's Riverside Cathedral. Commenting on the exhibition Chandler said "At a time when stereotypes and media hype are increasing the ever widening divide between the Middle East and West, creating growing misconceptions and apprehensions about each other, "The Key", a strategic East- West art exhibition, seeks to change perceptions and speak directly to the global unconscious." The exhibition is on until 12 April.
