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All the Best Moments From Art Cairo 2025

The leading MENA art fair returns for its sixth edition at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Here's everything you need to know.

Costa Pappas

All the Best Moments From Art Cairo 2025

Art Cairo, one of the biggest art fairs in the MENA region, took place at the newly expanded Grand Egyptian Museum from February 8th to the 11th.

“At Art Cairo, we have always believed in the unifying power of art,” Mohamed Younis, Founder of Art Cairo, tells CairoScene. “Since our very first edition, our mission has been to showcase the depth and potential of the Arab art scene, demonstrating its ability to tell compelling narratives and foster meaningful dialogue.”

This year, Art Cairo was centred on the theme ‘Peace to All Nations’. “This theme is not merely a statement but an invitation - an artistic plea born from the very essence of creative expression,” Younis adds. “In a world marked by conflicts and challenges, art emerges as the loudest voice, offering solace, unity and a shared language of hope.”

The 2025 edition welcomed galleries from Egypt, Syria, Palestine and the UAE, while Tunisia and Morocco joined for the first time. We rounded up some standout moments from this year’s edition…

SANAA Gallery

Based in the Netherlands, SANAA Gallery presented a solo exhibition by Syrian-Dutch artist Raafat Ballan. His melancholic, noir-infused paintings explored themes of memory, displacement and identity, creating an emotional depth that resonated with viewers.

Al Mashrabia Gallery

At Al Mashrabia Art Gallery, Mohamed El Fayoumi introduced his latest figurative sculptures, where heavy, obtuse forms were crafted with an unexpected sense of playfulness. His work, an ode to Egyptian warmth and generosity, brought movement and lightheartedness to the fair.

Samir Rafi

A special tribute honoured modernist Samir Rafi, whose work fused ancient Egyptian imagery with surrealism. The retrospective traced his decades-long career, highlighting how his avant-garde vision continues to feel strikingly relevant today.

Le Lab: ‘Through a Collector’s Eye’

Le Lab debuted ‘Through a Collector’s Eye’, an initiative led by Rasheed Kamel that invited private collectors to publicly showcase rarely seen artworks from their personal collections. The exhibit pulled back the curtain on private collections to spark conversations on personal curation and how private collections shape the broader art landscape.

Discussion: Art for Peace

Bahraini artist and Art for Peace Project founder Abbas Al-Mousawi led a thought-provoking discussion on art’s role in fostering peace. Alongside journalist and critic Sayed Mahmoud, he explored how artistic expression shapes global dialogue and serves as a catalyst for unity.

Nizar Sabour

Following his artistic residency in Cairo, Syrian artist Nizar Sabour presented a solo exhibition deeply aligned with this year’s theme. His work centred on the olive tree, a universal symbol of peace and endurance, shaping the composition while prompting viewers to reflect on the fragile balance of harmony in uncertain times.

Mashrabia Gallery

Returning to Art Cairo, Mashrabia Gallery - a downtown Cairo staple since 1990 - showcased Samy Elias’ latest photographic series. His work, based on rediscovered Egyptian photographs from the 1920s to 1970s, blurs the boundaries of memory and history, offering a hauntingly dreamlike perspective on the past.

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