By Manal Abdel Fattah
The first edition of “Alexandria Photography Week” will be held from February 1 to 10, and is organized by Photopia under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Tourism Promotion Authority, and the main donor for that edition, which is the American Embassy in Cairo.
According to a statement issued by the American Embassy in Cairo, the events will be held in seven major cultural centers throughout Alexandria: the Jesuit Cultural Center, Basariat al-Funun, the Greco-Roman Museum, AMIDEAST, 6 Bab Sharq for Arts and Culture, the French Institute, and the Greek Cultural Center. Two embassies will also participate. Netherlands and France at this event through many lecturers and photographers.
Moreover, this event will host eight group and individual exhibitions, and a diverse group of local and international photographers, image makers and lecturers from different fields will participate in a comprehensive educational experience for budding image makers, and all sessions will be open to the public for free.
Marwa Abu Leila, founder and executive director of the Photopia Foundation, said, “This festival specializes in the image industry, organized by Photopia, and is not only intended for specialized photographers, but is also open to the public for free. This is what makes Alexandria Photography Week a unique experience. The exhibitions, lectures, and educational events in… The various cultural centers are free for those registered in the festival, and thus the public will be an essential partner in learning about this field and discovering many stories through these images, and this time there will be stories of these images from Alexandria and the Delta.”
Robin Haroutunian, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy, also noted, “The US Embassy in Cairo is proud to sponsor the first-ever Alexandria Photography Week. This event clearly demonstrates the depth of talent in Egypt’s photography community, and clearly conveys Alexandria’s place in Egypt’s cultural scene, and we are pleased “In particular, promoting the distinguished work of Farouk Ibrahim, whose images magically capture the lasting impact of the U.S.-Egypt partnership.”
Abu Leila added, “The festival hosts a group of local and international photographers and image makers for 10 days in the heart of the historic city of Alexandria to enhance interaction between photographers with experience in the local and international communities and young people passionate about photography, in the fields of documentary photography, photojournalism, cinematography, and experimental fashion practices.” , contemporary art, mixed media, and fine arts through lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and professional meetings.
Attention is paid to local and international photographers, image makers and filmmakers who have been carefully selected from previous editions of Cairo Photography Week, as well as from Alexandria and the Delta, in addition to international speakers from the National Geographic Society, World Press Photo and others who will participate in more than 40 lectures during the festival. The festival will also celebrate with an exhibition ” Faro Q. Ibrahim: The Legend “The famous Egyptian photographer who documented key moments in our cultural history.”
Although attendance is free, individuals interested in joining the workshops must pay a separate fee for each workshop. There are eight workshops in various fields offered by the National Geographic World Press Photo Association. In addition, Hossam Ahmed will present a workshop on compositing. And photo editing. Carmen will present a workshop on the basics of food photography, while Nelly Al-Sharqawi will present a workshop on architectural photography. The workshop topics will also include the basics of photography and the use of images in filmmaking.
Furthermore, Adam Abdel Ghaffar will present a one-day workshop on enhancing creative vision.
Abu Leila confirmed that the festival will host eight group and individual exhibitions, including an exhibition sponsored by the American Embassy in Cairo of the distinctive photographs of the late photographer Farouk Ibrahim, which will be held at AMIDEAST. The 2023 World Press Photo Exhibition will also be held in cooperation with the Dutch Embassy, which represents the Academy Awards for Photography. Photography, and a special session of the “Sard” exhibition will be held in Alexandria and the Delta. Through a group exhibition that includes photo stories and documentary videos.
The works of this exhibition will be displayed in three cultural centers: the French Cultural Center, Basaria Arts, and 6 Bab Sharq, with the participation of 47 photographers. The “Individual Narrative” exhibition will also be held in the Jesuit, which will also include another exhibition of the winning press photos in the annual competition entitled “Portrait.” Egyptian Press,” and the “Study and Badawi” exhibition, which includes photographs of Alexandria from the 1930s and 1940s, will be held at the Greco-Roman Museum. The exhibitions also include: on fashion photography by Abdullah Sabry and a Romanian story.
