El Marsam: Modern and Contemporary Art from Egypt
Category: Event Calendar
Dates and Times
- Friday, Sep 18, 2026
- Saturday, Sep 19, 2026
- Sunday, Sep 20, 2026
- Monday, Sep 21, 2026
- Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026
- Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026
- Thursday, Sep 24, 2026
- Friday, Sep 25, 2026
- Saturday, Sep 26, 2026
- Sunday, Sep 27, 2026
- Monday, Sep 28, 2026
- Tuesday, Sep 29, 2026
- + 73 more
Location
Middle East Institute
1763 N Street NW
Details
El Marsam: Modern and Contemporary Art from Egypt explores the origins and evolution of the Egyptian modern art movement and its lasting influence on contemporary artistic practice in Egypt and across the Egyptian diaspora today.
The exhibition, curated by Heba El Kayal, takes its title from the Arabic word for “studio” — marsam — now favored over the French “atelier,” though the two terms were once used interchangeably. This linguistic shift mirrors the development of modern Egyptian art itself: a movement shaped through dialogue between international modernist currents and local traditions, subjects, and aesthetics. At its heart, the exhibition pays homage to the studio as a site of creation and exchange between artists of different generations.
That exchange plays out across more than 45 works spanning painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and collage, bringing together historically significant artists alongside leading and emerging Egyptian artists working today. The featured works demonstrate the richness, diversity, and technical sophistication of Egyptian artistic production, and the relationships that developed between artists and their influence on one another.
This exhibition marks one of the first presentations in a public institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to Egyptian modern and contemporary art. Made possible with the support of Egyptian collectors, galleries, institutions, and donors, El Marsam offers U.S. audiences a rare opportunity to engage with Egypt through the eyes of the artists shaping its modern cultural life.
