Culture Min. to Inaugurate Egyptian Modern Art Museum

Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem, minister of Culture, will inaugurate The Egyptian Modern Art Museum on Nov 18th. The museum's panoramic works underwent development and updating process.

The inauguration will be attended by Dr. Khaled Sorour, Head of the Plastic Arts Sector and many executive leaders, artists and media men.

Abdel Dayem said that inaugurating the Egyptian Modern Art Museum comes to activate the directions of President Al Sisi regarding the need to upgrade the cultural museums' system in line with achieving the components of the sustainable development "Egypt Vision 2030".

This includes the preservation of Heritage identity, which deepens the awareness and the feelings of belonging to the value of our eternal national capabilities.

Abdel Dayem added that art museums are one of the tools of preserving our country artistic legacy. The most important characteristic of the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art lies in presenting a panoramic image and advanced techniques of the creative work since the beginning of the twentieth century.

Thus, the museum will regain its glory after being closed since 2010 - and partially was opened in 2014 and then it was closed again due to Coronavirus.

Abdel Dayem explained that the ministry has succeeded in using these hiatus to accelerate the museum's development work to return the life to this great ancient cultural edifice in the region and the world.

On his part, Dr. Sorour said that the reopening of the museum, after its modernization and development, represents a remarkable event that carries an inspiring message of enlightenment.

"It also shows the Egyptian cultural-artistic leadership in preserving its tremendous heritage, so that this museum is a mark in the record of the Egyptian plastic art."

It is worth noting that the museum is located inside the campus of the Egyptian Opera House. It is considered to be one of the most important and prominent museums in Egypt.

The museum includes distinguished artistic works of different eras and schools.

The idea of creating a museum - that includes masterpieces of art- goes back to 1927 after Mahmoud Khalil succeeded in persuading “the Saray – The royal palace" to issue a royal decree to sponsor fine arts.

The concerned committee recommended the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, which included the holdings of the Ministry of Education and the annual Cairo Salon.

It was organized by the Fine Arts Lovers Association, collecting these holdings in a small hall at the headquarters of the Fine Arts Lovers Association - located in Al-Gomhoria Street.

Afterwards, it was moved to the site of “The Wax Museum” - which was established by Fouad Abdel-Malek, Secretary of the Fine Arts Lovers Association - to become the first building carrying the name of “the Modern Art Museum" in Egypt.

Later, the Ministry of Education moved the museum -as it was affiliated to it before the establishment of the Ministry of Culture- to another headquarters in Al Bustan Street in February 1963, then the museum was moved after that to the palace of Count "Zgheib" next to Hoda Shaarawi's palace in Qasr El Nil Street.

Yet, in the same year, the museum was closed, as its ancient building and the library attached to it were demolished.

Then, in 1966, the Egyptian collections moved from the museum to a temporary headquarters in the villa of Ismail Abul Fotouh in Vinny Square in Dokki, while in 1983, the works of foreigners moved to Al- Gezira Museum.

Hence, Saray 4 in the New Opera Square became the new and permanent headquarters of the Museum of Modern Art, which is the current headquarters - as one of the enlightenment platforms of the Ministry of Culture represented in the plastic Arts Sector.

It is noteworthy that the museum includes 44 rooms, in addition to the entrance and corridors.

The most important development operations were: the modernization of the security and surveillance system, the works of accurate electronic recording, electrical systems and the display system.

The development process was supervised by a specialized committee headed by Dr. Hamdi Abdullah, a group of professors and artists to form a visual record of the history of the leading Egyptian plastic movement.