September 30, 2022–January 8, 2023
Bozar’s autumn exhibition, Alexandria: Past Futures, attends to Egypt’s chimeric port city through archeological remnants as well as the works of seventeen contemporary artists that expand upon its contested histories. The juxtaposition of archaeological objects and contemporary works articulate the paradoxes of the city’s representation, shuttling between historical, present, and imaginary time.
Alexandria: Past Futures includes over 200 objects from Europe’s most significant museum collections and spans over seven centuries, from the founding of the city by Alexander the Great (331 BC) to the advent of Christianity (381 AD), with punctual incursions into Byzantine, Arab-Islamic, and modern periods. The contemporary works in the exhibition engage Alexandria through history, mythology and facts, augmenting our understanding of Europe and its foundational stories of origin, rooted in the Mediterranean, and unsettling the colonial epistemes that have impressed the city.
The exhibition presents three new commissions by Mona Marzouk, Jasmina Metwaly and Wael Shawky, and includes works by Haig Aivazian, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Céline Condorelli, Marianne Fahmy, Ellie Ga, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Malak Helmy, Iman Issa, Mahmoud Khaled, Hassan Khan, Maha Maamoun, Jumana Manna, Ahmed Morsi and Hrair Sarkissian.
Curators of the archeological works
Arnaud Quertinmont, Curator of Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities at The Royal Museum of Mariemont
Nicolas Amoroso, Curator of Greek and Roman Antiquities at The Royal Museum of Mariemont
Curators of the contemporary works
Edwin Nasr, Curator at CCA Berlin – Center for Contemporary Art and Ashkal Alwan, Beirut
Sarah Rifky, Senior Curator and Director of Programs at ICA, Virginia Commonwealth University and PhD Candidate, MIT
Alexandria: Past Futures will travel to Mucem in Marseille (February 8 to May 8, 2023).
The exhibition is part of the international project Alexandria: (Re)activating Common Urban Imaginaries and is implemented by the partners Musée des civilisations, de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée—Mucem (France), Centre for Fine Arts—Bozar, Brussels (Belgium), Le domaine et Musée royal de Mariemont (Belgium), Onassis Stegi (Greece), Cittadellarte—Fondazione Pistoletto (Italy), University of Leiden (Netherlands), Kunsthal Arhus (Denmark) and Undo Point Contemporary Arts (Cyprus), with the support of the associated partners Cluster (Egypt), Institut Français d'Alexandrie (Egypt) and Theatrum Mundi (UK).
In parallel with the exhibition, two artists' residency programmes (The Caravan Residency and School for Sonic Memory), a series of workshops, study visits, meetings and conferences in different partner cities, examine the multiple challenges facing the arts, heritage and urbanism through the symbolic and historical lens of Alexandria and its relationship to the broader Mediterranean region and beyond
Opening: September 29, 7–9pm
Abdel Rahman El Bacha and Astrig Siranossian: October 6, 8–10pm
Chamber / classical music
You Have Not Yet Been Defeated: October 19, 7:30–9pm
Literature talk with Lina Attalah, Ahdaf Soueif and Iman Mersal
Ancient Alexandria and its Cultural Heritage: October 28, 10am–6pm
Conference devoted to ancient and recent archaeological research
Ancient Alexandria and its Cultural Heritage: October 29, 10am–6pm
Conference focused on the material culture and religious landscape of Alexandria, at the Royal Museum of Mariemont, Morlanwelz
Michael Barenboim and West-Eastern Divan Ensemble: October 30, 7–9pm
Chamber / classical Music
Oum: November 26, 8:30–10pm
Electronic / global music
Writers from Black Arabia: November 30, 7:30–9pm
Literature talk with Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, Stella Gaitano and Hammour Ziada
Halaqat Impro Orchestra feat. Amir ElSaffar: December 14, 7–8pm
Jazz / global music
Maurice Louca—The Luck Hour: December 14, 8:30–10pm
Jazz / electronic music
