KEEPitREAL! is a project that brought together contemporary Egyptian and European artists with traditional craftspeople of Cairo in the collective creation of artistic works. In October 2014 a series of working sessions were conducted in artisans’ workshops in four different areas of Cairo, where twelve works of art in metal, stone, wood, glass, pottery, stucco and alabaster in combination with other materials and media were produced in a collaborative effort of artists and craftsmen. It was followed by the exhibition of the resulting works in the Bayt al-Sinnari cultural centre in Cairo in February 2015 that included a public presentation of the work by the authors.

 

By inviting contemporary artists to produce their work using the skills and techniques of traditional craftspeople in workshops located in underprivileged neighbourhoods the project aimed at broadening access to modern art in Egyptian society, and enhancing the diversity of contemporary Egyptian culture. This web site brings to you the results of this work and the fascinating interactions that led to it: the common effort of artisans and artists in traditional workshops of Historic Cairo.

 

The project was made possible with the funding primarily from the European Union Delegation to Egypt as part of its EU-Egypt Cultural Cooperation Programme, with contributions from the British Council, the Embassy of Poland, the Embassy of Switzerland, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland. The project was designed and carried out by the Cairo-based architectural practice ARCHiNOS Architecture in collaboration with the Bayt al-Sinnari Centre for Arts, Science, and Culture, which is operated by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.