The Boghossian Foundation and the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art jointly present an exhibition celebrating ancient Egypt and contemporary art in relation to the African continent.
For the first time in Belgium, approximately 130 works from the prestigious collection assembled by Jean Claude Gandur is exhibited in the unique setting of the Villa Empain. The five collections housed at the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art encompass more than 4,000 works and objects, including over a 1,000 antiquities from the Mediterranean world – the cradle of our Greco-Roman civilisation – with a particular focus on Egypt. This archaeological collection stands out for its bronzes, reliefs, bas-reliefs, and stelae crafted over 2,000 years ago by the most talented artisans.
Organised around eight successive themes, the exhibition explores the depiction of the gaze and one’s perception of their environment. On the one hand, it presents breathtaking examples of daily life and funerary art, including figurines, amulets, and sarcophagus masks. On the other hand, it features iconic characters from the Pharaonic period, such as Ramses II, illustrated by a bust of carved from red granite, dating back to the second half of the second millennium BC.
The itinerary showcases recent works by living artists who are closely connected to the rich diversity of the African continent. More than 40 paintings, photographs, and sculptures from the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art’s collection of African Contemporary Art and of the Diaspora foster a lively and engaging dialogue on topics that already mattered at the time of the Pharaohs.
Committed to building bridges between peoples and enriching the collective memory, the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art shares the fundamental goal of the Boghossian Foundation, which seeks to foster dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures. With this in mind, the invitation to invest the Villa Empain, where past and present meet, gains particular significance.
With the works of Ocom Adonias, Léonce Raphaël Agbodjelou, Abdulrazaq Awofeso, Omar Ba, Mahi Binebine, Calixte Dakpogan, Romuald Hazoumè, Lucie Kamswekera, Gonçalo Mabunda, Omar Mahfoudi, Mohau Modisakeng, Youssef Nabil, Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo, Ghizlane Sahli, Mekbib Tadesse, Julien Vignikin.
The exhibition is organised by Xavier Droux, Curator Archaeology Collection, and Olivia Fahmy, Curator Collection African Contemporary Art and of the Diaspora, with the collaboration of Aurélie Quirion, assistant curator Archaeology Collection and scientific associate Ethnology Collection, Fondation Gandur pour l’Art.
Press release from Boghossian Foundation
Image: Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo. Germaine Acogny à l’embouchure de Saint-Louis. 2022. Photograph, pigment inkjet print. Image courtesy of the artist and Boghossian Foundation
