Namnam inaugurates ‘Colors of India’ photography exhibition

CAIRO – 12 January 2018: Egypt’s Ministry of Culture announced the opening of a photography exhibition titled “Colors of India”, featuring the works of Egyptian photographer Mona Abdel Karim.

The exhibition contains 45 photographs that capture the different aspects of the presence of Indian culture in Egypt. The photographs observe the relationship between the two cultures, using examples ranging from Indian folkloric dance troupes performing in Egypt to the influences of Indian architecture on Egyptian palaces.

Egyptian Minister of Culture Helmy el-Namnam outlined the different meanings behind the exhibition. The first, he explained, is the significance of celebrating the work of a female Egyptian photographer who succeeded in a field previously dominated by men. The second point is about the long history shared by the two countries that goes back to Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Egypt in 1931.

Namnam and the Indian Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharya joined the inauguration of the cultural exhibition at the Egyptian Center for International Cultural Cooperation on Monday, January 8. Artists, intellectuals, and the press attended the opening of the exhibition. Hesham Mourad, the head of the External Cultural Relations Sector in Egypt, also attended the event.

The exhibition focuses on the diversity and richness of the Indian culture, such as traditional Indian dance forms which are practiced during the harvest season. The minister highlighted the relationship between Indian cultural practices and Egyptian art, and described the exhibition as being reflective of the diversity in the cultures of Egypt and India. The initiative hopes to encourage cultural exchange between the two countries.

Namnam also announced that the exhibition will be presented again in Luxor later this year, and the photographer, Mona Abdel Karim, stressed on the importance of the government’s efforts to promote different art forms through exhibitions and cultural centers.

The exhibition opened on January 8, and will end on Saturday.