Dr. Gihan Zaki, Egypt’s Minister of Culture, attended the closing ceremony of the 30th Aswan International Sculpture Symposium (AISS). The event took place at the Open-Air Museum in Aswan, a unique site housing over 800 artworks accumulated over three decades of artistic production.
In her keynote address, the Minister emphasized that the symposium remains one of the Ministry’s most vital cultural pillars. She highlighted its role in reviving the art of sculpture, nurturing young talent, and providing a platform for Egyptian artists to engage with diverse international schools of art.
A Beacon of Cultural Heritage
Dr. Zaki noted that Aswan’s unique blend of ancient history and natural beauty makes it an ideal "incubator" for global creativity. She paid special tribute to two towering figures in Egyptian art to whom the 30th edition was dedicated:
Adam Henein: The world-renowned sculptor and "spiritual father" of the symposium, who founded the event in 1996 with the support of former Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny.
* Salah Marei: The celebrated production designer (famed for the cinematic masterpiece The Mummy), who was Henein’s partner in developing the Open-Air Museum concept and documenting the symposium’s visual legacy.
> "The Aswan Symposium will remain a prominent window for Egypt’s soft power, asserting our nation’s continuous ability to produce beauty and build bridges of civilized communication with the world," the Minister stated.
Honors and Recognitions
During the ceremony, the Minister presented several honorary awards:
Posthumous Awards: Accepted by Architect Akram Al-Magdoub on behalf of Adam Henein, and by Engineer Mariam Marei on behalf of her father, Salah Marei.
Institutional Partners: Major General Dr. Ismail Kamal, Governor of Aswan, was honored for the governorate's role in integrating the symposium’s works into the city's urban and aesthetic development.
Technical and Field Teams: Recognition was given to local municipal leaders, site supervisors, and technical assistants whose logistical support was crucial to the edition's success.
A Global Gathering of Artists
The ceremony celebrated a diverse roster of participating artists from the 30th edition, including:
From Egypt: Ahmed Abdullah, Mahmoud Kishk, Maria Youssef, Nevine Khafagi, Amira Mohamed, Manar Hisham, and Essam Ashmawi.
International Artists: Albulen Neziri (Kosovo), Alessio Ranaldi (Italy), Hakan Sengonul (Turkey), Kiryl Krokhaliou (Belarus), Tobias Dietrich (Germany), and Zdravko Zdravkov (Bulgaria).
The evening concluded with an extraordinary musical performance by world-renowned Egyptian soprano Amira Selim, who performed a selection of songs that resonated with the historic and artistic atmosphere of the site.
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