Photos are usually taken in seconds, but they sometimes tell the story of eras or longer periods.
Recognizing the importance of photos, Egypt’s most impactful photography and image-making festival kicked off in downtown Cairo on February 8.
Called ‘Cairo Photo Week (CPW)’, the event, which will last for ten days, is organized by Photopia, a hub of the rising photography community in Egypt.
Over 100 local and international photographers, speakers and lecturers are participating in the festival, the third to take place in Egypt.
The photographers participating in the event are rolling out their works in 14 exhibitions.
The festival will also include around 90 panel discussions and 15 workshops, according to Marwa Abou Leila, managing director of the organizing company.
The current edition of the festival will also include an exhibition that commemorates Farouk Ibrahim, one of Egypt’s most noteworthy photographers.
Ibrahim left a huge record behind, having worked as a photojournalist for six decades (between 1939 and 2011).
His photos give insights into key moments in these six decades, ones that formed the knowledge and consciousness of Egyptians about their country.
Ibrahim’s photo testimonies derive their importance, not only from the events they capture, but also from their significance to the political, social and artistic chronology of Egypt history.
Ibrahim’s son, Kareem, expressed hopes that this would not be the last time his father’s record of photos would be exhibited to the members of the general public.
“The festival is a very good opportunity to present this rich heritage to new generations of Egyptians,” Kareem told The Egyptian Gazette on the sidelines of the festival.
Ibrahim worked closely with the nation’s most influential politicians and statesmen during these six decades, including the late president Anwar Sadat.
He was also the favourite photographer of Egyptian and Arab singing sensations, Umm Kulthum and Abdel Haleem Hafez. He accompanied both singers around the world.
Ibrahim also worked closely with late revolutionary leader Gamal Abdel Nasser and the late president Hosni Mubarak.
The photos exhibited in the festival highlight a number of important issues, such as climate change.
The climate change exhibition is drawing support from a large number of parties, including the US embassy in Cairo.
American photographer, Ed Kashi, participates in this exhibition.
Minister Counsellor for Public Affairs atthe US Embassy in Cairo, Lauran Lovelace, said the embassy focuses on climate action to raise Egyptian photographers’ awareness about climate change and sustainability.
“We are happy to sponsor the CPW, especially Farouk Ibrahim’s exhibition,” she told The Gazette. “He is one of the greatest photographers, a legend and a treasure for Egypt and the US, having taken photos of important events, such as the Camp David Accords, the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab country.”
She said photography is a way to make people understand that climate change is not an American or an Egyptian problem.
“It is in fact a worldwide problem that we have to face together,” Lovelace said.
