The American University in Cairo AUC main campus, Downtown, 24 Falaki St, Downtown Cairo, Tel 012 88721446 “Cairotronica” is a symposium of electronic and new media arts organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Fine Art Sector, and the American University in Cairo. Over two weeks, the event will offer exhibitions, performances, talks, workshops and screenings by local, regional and international artists, academics and technology experts. Audiences will be exposed to the latest in electronic arts installations in an interactive environment, as well as attend exhibitions, screenings and outdoor performances. The theme of the symposium, planned to take place biennially, is “Connect”. Artists taking part include Betty Mü, Magdalena Kallenberger and Lotte Meret Effinger (Germany), Dennis Doty (US), James Bridle (UK), Ruben Pater (The Netherlands), Harun Farocki (Germany), Marcus Neustetter (South Africa), Khaled Hafez, Islam Abdallah,Heba Amin,Mohamed Shoukry,Ahmed Al-Shaer,Omar Ghayat and Ahmed Abdel-Karim (Egypt), Foundland (The Netherlands and Syria), Norimichi Hirakawa (Japan), Theo Eshetu (Ethiopia/UK), Lawrence Wallen (Australia), Haythem Zakaria (Tunis), Tabita Rezaire (France/New Guinea) and ID PW (Japan). “Cairotronica” is directed by Haytham Nawar, director of the Graphic Design Program at the American University in Cairo (closing 15 May).
Cairo Opera Complex Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Zamalek Hanager Arts Centre “Untitled,”an exhibition of 40 paintings by Zeinab Amer (closing 13 May).
Ceramic and Traditional Handicrafts Centre 1 Al-Imam St, behind Amr bin Al-Aas Mosque, Al-Fustat, Old Cairo, Tel 02 2364 3103 A permanent exhibition of the centre's ceramic, brass, jewellery and khayamiya products.
Contemporary Image Collective 22 Abdel Khalek Tharwat St, 4th floor, Downtown, Cairo, Tel 02 2396 4272 “Chronic,” a group exhibition of works by Alberto Grifi, Dora Garcia, Mohamed Shawky Hassan and Uriel Orlow. This show is the second chapter of “If Not For That Wall,” a long-term project that looks at different forms of imprisonment. Articulated in fragments, the exhibition, film programme, talks and book readings that make up the six-week programme question the power of differentiating between “sane” and “pathological”. The title, “Chronic”, refers to a continuous state that lasts beyond an exceptional moment in time and is complex and severe in nature. “Chronic” considers emotional states, ranging from a diffuse sense of fatigue or sadness to the trauma of people with experience of imprisonment, and the historical struggle to open mental institutions (closing 4 June).
Darb 1718 Kasr Al-Shama'e St, Al-Fakhareen, Old Cairo, near Mar Girgis Metro Station, Tel 02 2361 0511 “Log In,” a social media-themed art exhibition featuring local and international artists from Egypt, the US, France and Italy. The exhibition showcases different interactive art mediums, including photography, video and installations (closing 31 May). “Matigi” (Let's Come), an exhibition by Sayed Arafat (17-31 May).
Duroub 4 Amrika Al-Latiniya St, Garden City, Tel 02 2796 2881/ 2794 7951 “From Aswan to Murcia (Spain),” paintings by Ahmed Selim (closing 12 May).
Egyptian Centre for International Cultural Cooperation 11 Shagaret Al-Durr St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 5419 “The Beauty of Nature as I See It,” nature photography exhibition by the Hungarian photographer Péter Zala (closing 12 May).
Al-Ghouri Caravansary Imam Mohamed Abdou St, off Al-Moaiz St with Al-Azhar, Tel 02 2514 7475 Permanent exhibition of the handicraft centre's products, including pottery, brass artworks and jewellery.
Al-Masar Behler's Mansion, 157b, 26 July St, ground floor, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 8537/0100 067 0705 “Resurrection,” an exhibition of paintings by Salah Enani, marking the 8th anniversary of Al-Masar gallery (12 May-5 June).
Mashrabia 8 Champollion St, Downtown, Tel 02 2578 4494/Mob 010 0170 4554 “Caravanserai,” an exhibition of photography and installations by Pilar Cossìo. The transnational artist Cossìo is a key figure on the Spanish art scene and internationally. The artist wisely moves between contemporary languages, creating an artistic practice that astonishes the viewer (closing19 May).
Museum of Modern Egyptian Art Cairo Opera House Grounds, Gezira, Zamalek, Tel 2736 6667/65 Abaad Hall An exhibition curated by the Egyptian Caricature Society that showcases an excellent collection of portraits and caricatures from across the globe of Tagore. Part of the Tagore Festival (8-12 May), the event is hosted by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in Cairo in commemoration of the 155th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian philosopher, poet, nationalist and Nobel laureate, (closing 12 May).
The Photographic Gallery The American University in Cairo, New Cairo Campus, Abdul Latif Jameel Hall, Plaza Level, Tel 02 2615 3318 “Indelible,” a photographic exhibition by Randa Shaath. Shaath takes her camera inside the homes of family and friends and acknowledges the everyday objects, moments and spaces that we often overlook, granting them a grace that evokes the people that breathe life into them (closing 18 May).
Picasso 30 Hassan Assem, off Brazil St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 7544 “Experimental 1,” paintings and sculptures by Hisham Abdallah (closing 15 May).
El Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, under the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 Word Hall “Doors of Baheyya,” 40 oil paintings on canvas by Omaima Al-Sisi depicting the ancient and traditional doors of Egypt. She also reveals the tales, people and places beyond these doors that reflect the heritage and the breathtaking beauty, in addition to the simplicity and splendour, of the Egyptian people (closing 19 May).
The Shelter Art+Photography 3 Taha Hussein St, 1st floor of Al-Yamama Centre, Zamalek, Tel 02 2737 2589 “Colours and Smiles,” a photography exhibition by Ashraf Al-Mahrouky and Samo Rera, photographers on a mission to put smiles on the faces of children in rural and underprivileged areas. Most of the proceeds of this exhibition will be used to build playgrounds in poor areas (closing 22 May).
Taha Hussein Museum Ramatan Cultural Centre 11 Taha Hussein St, Madkour, Al-Haram, Tel 02 2392 7214 A retrospective exhibition of the works of veteran artist Saad Zaghloul (11-19 May).
