Venus Fouad looks at the Ministry of Culture's ambitious museums programme, which will see the long-awaited reopening of the Gezira Museum Like the muses who inspire artists, museums were conceiveed as a means of enlightening and entertaining the public. Since the 25 January Revolution, however, many Egyptian museums have closed their doors, either because they are under renovation or for security reasons. Now of the plastic arts sector of the Ministry of Culture says that this is going to change. Reda, who teaches interior design at the College of Fine Arts in Cario, is a former director of the Academy of Arts in Rome. A prolific writer and winner of nearly 40 international and regional awards, he is a firm believer in giving historic buildings a second life as art centres. Art marketing is also one of his specialities. Reda is developing a new policy aimed at turning museums into meeting points and places of interaction with the public. For him, a museum is not just a place for storage and displayof art, but one where people can have fun, gain knowledge, develop an appreciation of beauty and get to know one another. Because heritage is so important a component of our culture, Reda wants museums to familiarise members of the public with their culture without alienating them. Instead of being high-brow reservoirs of refinement, museums can bridge the gap between the average person and the creative tributaries of accumulated artistic endeavour. Reintroducing people to their cultural heritage, Reda believes, is one of the most important ways of promoting individual and collective creative initiative. As part of his plans for the future, cultural programmes designed by art and culture specialists will be used to enlighten and entertain. Reda wants to promote a museum culture that connects visitors with the museum, a culture that makes the public want to spend more time within the premises of the museum, enjoying themselves and learning at the same time. Reda admits that museums are not yet capable of playing this role. This is why he has ambitious plans to retrain museum staff, especially curators. In management, he envisions a decentralised operation where museum officials will assume full charge of their operations and work according to a clear job description. Museums would have their own systems of protection, maintenance, and documentation and training programmes to ensure that all museum staff were capable of using the latest systems of management and all the modern technology that comes with the job. Surveillance cameras should be checked periodically and their recordings kept for longer periods as part of a wider scheme to enhance security. Art collections belonging to the museums now undergoing renovation are being safely kept in secure safes, with attention given to optimum climate conditions such as temperature and humidity. As part of a new marketing policy, museums will have gift shops where souvenirs and reproductions will be on sale to encourage self-financing. Tourist agencies have been given updated lists of museums and encouraged to organise museum tours. In addition to this, documentary films telling the story of museums and their holdings are being produced, with plans to screen them in international forums and cinema theatres. The films will also be a useful educational tool in schools and universities. At some point, Reda intends to offer art appreciation courses in various Egyptian museums where young people can learn more about the history of Egyptian art and the nation�s artistic heritage. Young artists will also be encouraged to display their work in exhibition galleries inside the museums. This will ensure a two-way traffic in artistic ideas and invigorate the nation's art scene. One of Reda's most ambitious plans, which was partly achieved last week, is to reopen the Gezira Museum (formerly the Museum of Civilisation). This museum situated next door to the grounds of the Cairo Opera House was once considered to be one of the greatest museums in the Middle East, but has been closed for more than two decades. Designed by Mostafa Bey Fahmi, director of the royal estate, in 1936, the Gezira Museum opened to the public on 25 August 1957. Its collection of paintings and sculpture, nearly 4,000 pieces in all, was mostly culled from the palaces of the royal family after the 1952 Revolution. Works by major 19th- century artists including Renoir, Monet, Rodin and Delacroix will be in display when the museum reopens in mid-2013. Among the exhibits will be an extensive collection of Coptic fabrics, rare examples of Fatimid glass, and unique Sevres and Chinese vases. Considering that the collection is worth billions of pounds, Reda is currently examining the museum�s display capacity and reorganising the methods and areas of storage. A new storyline is being conceived for the exhibits, and a part of the museum space will be dedicated to rotating exhibitions. Film screenings and seminars will have their own sections, and a restoration laboratory will be included on the premises. But this is not all. In a surprising discovery, while renovation work was being carried out a large cache of art was found. It was life imitating fiction when workers came upon a hidden underground passage at one side of the building. Inside the passage was a cache of hitherto unknown art works: more than 200 paintings by early Egyptian pioneers including Hosesin Fawzi, Kamel Mostafa and Naguib Fanous. The pieces ranged between large panoramic paintings to water colours and sketches. Dozens of engineering and architectural drawings were also discovered. The cache was of such magnitude that Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi now plans to place the collection on show in a special exhibition next month. The ministry will also issue a booklet documenting the cache and its historical significance. As the Gezira Museum undergoes renovation, part of the space has been set aside for film screenings. Two rooms, each with seating for 70 people, are already showing documentaries and short films. The facility will be used to promote visual culture and encourage young filmmakers. One of the first screenings was of the documentary film Mabruk by Ezzedin Said. The film tells the story of Mabruk Ismail Mabruk, a self-educated artist from Bahariya Oasis. This is a refreshing insight into spontaneous art and how it relates to the country�s heritage, especially in that they show the influence of the temples Mabruk visited as a child. The film reviews the artist�s life and his unique style, while offering the viewer a visual journey into distant architectural and sartorial patterns. Another film, Rahawan, also by Ezzedin Said, was followed by a discussion moderated by Mohamed Nawwar, director of the screening rooms. All this is just the beginning. A full programme of screenings has just begun, featuring documentaries, short film, and digital videos. Workshops on cinema and other forms of art will also be held. Reda says that he does not allow films to be censored so long as they are compatible with the general morality of society. He adds that art is a form of science, and that it cannot be subject to the whims of religious groups. Reda's ambitious plans for museum activities will gain further momentum with the opening of various museums in Cairo and Alexandria in the near future. The Taha Hussein Museum near the Giza Pyramids and the Ahmad Shawqi Museum in Giza are expected to open within days. The Fine Arts Complex in Alexandria, which contains Egypt's first ever calligraphy museum, will follow. The Hossein Sobhi Fine Arts Museum is being given final touches before opening, and in Alexandria plans are underway to reopen the Municipality Library, which contains a collection of rare books and documents. A massive collection of works by oriental artists will go on display at the Aisha Fahmi Palace as of 2012. These are exciting times in the museum world. I for one would like to add my own voice to those who wish for art to become part of daily life, not just an occasional accessory. Why do we not use the entrance halls of museums as exhibition spaces for young artists? This would be like hitting two birds with one stone. The artists would have their work brought into the public eye, and the public would have an additional reason to visit museums.
