monumental sculptures in marble, onyx, travertine and quartzite emerge at the giza pyramids

studioproba and solidnature unveil ‘echoes of the infinite’

StudioPROBA and SolidNature debut Echoes of the Infinite among the pyramids on the Giza Plateau, marking Alex Proba’s first major installation in Egypt and her largest sculptural work to date. Presented within Art D’Egypte’s Forever Is Now 05, running until December 6th, 2025, the project embodies Proba’s fluid visual language against the geological and symbolic weight of the pyramids, which serve as its backdrop. Three monumental stone formations, crafted from marble, onyx, travertine, and quartzite, compose a landscape that aligns with the pyramids from afar and unfolds into labyrinth-like pathways up close. ‘Designing for Giza is humbling. You are in dialogue with the most enduring symbols of civilization,’ Proba shares.

organic stone forms stand among the pyramids for Art D’Egypte

While Proba is widely recognized for her exuberant murals and color-forward sculptural interventions, Echoes of the Infinite pushes her vocabulary into heavier, ancient matter. StudioPROBA’s installation transforms her signature organic forms into geological mass, drawing from Egyptian cosmology to shape motifs that feel both newly imagined and rooted to their context. The blue lotus appears as a symbol of renewal; celestial forms gesture toward navigation by the Milky Way; and scarab-like curves speak to transformation. The stones, marked with veins, translucencies, and sedimented histories, become active carriers of narrative. ‘The materials themselves carry veins, colors, and patterns formed over millennia—they already hold memory and emotion,’ the Brooklyn- and Portland-based artist says. ‘Our work was to shape them into forms that speak of transformation, rebirth, and infinite time.’

Produced in close collaboration with natural stone supplier SolidNature, the installation relies on the company’s deep knowledge in sourcing, shaping, and engineering monumental stone pieces. The expressive curves and interlocking geometries required a technical precision that belies their organic appearance. ‘Stone is eternal — it forms, erodes, reshapes, and reforms over millennia,’ notes David Mahyari, CEO of SolidNature. ‘In working with Alex, we wanted to honor that cycle, creating something that belongs to the landscape but also points forward.’ The resulting ensemble turns material into experience: visitors move through shifting passages where geological time, mythic symbolism, and contemporary form overlap.

symbolism embedded in site-specific sculptures

Curated to invite contemporary artists into direct dialogue with one of the world’s most enduring archaeological sites, Forever Is Now 05 sets the stage for Proba’s meditation on time and memory. Positioned among structures that have stood for over 4,500 years, the installation finds its voice in contrast, soft against the sharpness of the pyramids, fluid to their geometry, and intuitive to their rigor. ‘To see this work sit beside the pyramids and feel part of that continuum still takes my breath away,’ Alex Proba says.

Each of the three sculptures carries specific symbolic intent. The reinterpretation of the Eye of Horus finds its form in a deep green marble arc, a round central stone acting as the pupil, and a reddish-brown lower curve grounding the piece in the sand. A circular formation frames the pyramids from select viewpoints, linking them visually into a single gesture while evoking the sun’s cyclical path. Vertical lavender and rose stones express transformation, while orange-red spheres emerge as rising suns. Across the ensemble, color and mineral properties are treated as carriers of meaning rather than surface effects.

According to StudioPROBA, the forms were shaped to feel as though they had grown out of the desert floor, softened by imagined wind, water, and light. Their composition evolved through many sketches and iterations until a triad emerged, mirroring the three pyramids. ‘The materials already contain beauty and movement; I simply revealed what was already there,’ Proba notes.

Alex Proba’s first major installation in Egypt and her largest sculptural work to date

the project embodies Proba’s fluid visual language against the geological and symbolic weight of the pyramids

monumental stone formations, crafted from marble, onyx, travertine, and quartzite

a landscape that aligns with the pyramids from afar

the installation transforms the artist’s signature organic forms into geological mass

drawing from Egyptian cosmology

shaping motifs that feel both newly imagined and rooted to their context

the stones, marked with veins, translucencies, and sedimented histories, become active carriers of narrative

expressive curves and interlocking geometries required a technical precision

the forms were shaped to feel as though they had grown out of the desert floor

the reinterpretation of the Eye of Horus finds its form in a deep green marble arc

a reddish-brown lower curve grounds the piece in the sand

The Pyramids of Giza have never been more alive. Earlier this month, the Grand Egyptian Museum finally unveiled its full collections to the world with a glittering inauguration attended by royalty and world leaders, and now, the Giza Plateau has been transformed into an open-air gallery thanks to the arrival of the fifth edition of Forever is Now.

Running until 6 December, Forever is Now will see the Giza Plateau taken over by 10 large-scale contemporary art installations. Organised by cultural platform Art D’Egypte, the exhibition brings fresh artworks, artists and themes each year to the 4,500-year-old site. This year, artists were invited to explore the concept of immortality – a central belief in ancient Egypt, where kings built tombs for the afterlife. The goal is to spark a dialogue between the past, cultural heritage and contemporary art.

“All of the artworks have a connection with ancient Egypt,” says founder Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, standing in front of Alexandre Farto’s Doors of Cairo. “What stands out this year is that we have several artists who are very important internationally.”

Among them are 92-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee Michelangelo Pistoletto, a key figure in the Italian Arte Povera movement, which translates as ‘poor art’ and emphasises the use of humble, unconventional materials. Portuguese artist Farto, also known as Vhils, is celebrated for his unique technique of carving portraits into walls and urban surfaces.

For Doors of Cairo, Vhils collected discarded doorways from Cairo’s Garbage City, where generations of Zabbaleen families have made a living by sorting the city’s waste. Of the 65 doors, around 40 were engraved with the faces of everyday Cairenes, as well as Hieroglyphics and Arabic calligraphy. “It’s an homage to Cairo today,” Vhils says. “My objective was to bring the people of Cairo and the everyday life of Cairo here to the Pyramids.”

Alex Proba’s ‘Echoes of the Infinite’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

US-based artist Alex Proba teamed up with Netherlands-based natural stone and design brand SolidNature for Echoes of the Infinite, a three-sculpture installation made from marble, onyx, travertine and quartzite. Known for brightly coloured art pools, murals and public sculptures, Proba opted for slightly more subdued shades here, though the shapes remain playfully dynamic. The forms incorporate motifs of the Eye of Horus, the scarab, the blue lotus and the Milky Way.

Recycle Group’s ‘Null’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

Null, a ring of human figures crafted from white plastic mesh, is by Paris-based Recycle Group. The Russian duo behind the group, Andrey Blokhin and Georgy Kuznetsov, used recycled materials to comment on contemporary culture. The frozen figures are caught in the mesh, symbolising being stuck in the virtual world.

Nadim Karam’s ‘Desert Flowers’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

Lebanese artist Nadim Karam’s Desert Flowers transforms steel debris into three sculptures symbolising a lotus flower in bloom. “The lotus flower is very important in ancient Egyptian culture,” Karam says. “To transform something destructive to something creative, especially to a flower, is very symbolic.” His previous works include On Parade at Desert X in Al-Ula and The Gesture, a temporary sculpture created from scrap metal from the 2020 Beirut port blast.

King Houdekpinkou’s ‘White Totem of Light’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

Franco-Beninese ceramic artist King Houdekpinkou came to Cairo to create his two-metre-high White Totem of Light at the Sheeni factory, but it exploded in the kiln. Viewing it as an “opportunity to create something even more interesting,” he covered the totem with the broken shards. “I want this piece to be a ray of light for anyone searching for answers,” he says. “And this ray of light is leading you to the 4,500-plus years of history behind it with the Pyramids.”

Mert Ege Köse’s ‘The Shen’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

In The Shen, Turkish sculptor Mert Ege Köse created a split circular form of aluminium and stainless steel, framing the Great Pyramid. The shape evokes the ancient Egyptian symbol representing infinity and divine protection.

J.Park’s ‘Code of the Eternal’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

Korean artist J.Park’s Code of the Eternal uses a formula to transform phone numbers and identities into geometric shapes. In front of the pyramid structures, 1,000 stainless steel mirror dots represent Morse code for a message imagined between ancient Korea’s founder and a Pharaoh. “Just like in the Pyramids and ancient Egyptian art, every artwork has a secret message in it, and I also wanted to deliver my message indirectly,” Park says.

‘The Wind’ by Ana Ferrari Courtesy Art D’Egypte

The Wind, an installation by Brazilian artist Ana Ferrari, features 21 polished aluminium flutes that emit a gentle, meditative sound when stirred by the wind. “It’s an invitation to feel the energy of nature,” she says, comparing it to the acoustic chambers of the Pyramids.

Michelangelo Pistoletto’s ‘The Third Paradise’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

The last two artworks, which sit closest to the Pyramids, serve as the exhibition’s finale. Pistoletto’s The Third Paradise has been exhibited all over the world, including the Louvre in Paris and the UN headquarters in Geneva. It reinterprets the infinity symbol with three circles to represent a harmonious balance between nature, technology and humanity. On the Giza plateau, the symbol is built from limestone blocks, with an obelisk at its centre.

Salha Elmasry’s ‘Ma’at’ Courtesy Art D’Egypte

And finally, next to Pistoletto’s work, is Egyptian artist Salha Elmasry’s Ma’at, referring to the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, justice and cosmic order. “This is to send a message to the whole world, that ancient Egyptian civilisation didn’t just leave us with architectural monuments, such as the Pyramids with their greatness and majesty, but they ingrained in us human values,” she explains.

Forever is Now 5 is open to the public at the Pyramids of Giza until December 6

Summary

• Forever Is Now returns for its fifth edition, running through December on the Giza Plateau
• The showcase features 10 site-specific commissions by an international roster of artists
• The theme centers the mythic and historical dimensions of the pyramids and the timeless power of art

Fresh off the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Forever Is Now returns to the Giza Plateau with a crop of new sculptural commissions, for that special month of the year when the ancient pyramids turn into an open-air art gallery. Running through December 6, the 2025 edition pays tribute to the timeless allure of Egypt’s cultural heritage, exploring the mythic layers of the pyramids and how they’ve rippled into arenas of art, philosophy, culture and history.

Ten international artists were tapped to create large-scale, site-specific installations circling the timeless power of art and how its meanings bend, shift and endure through eras. Weaving throughout the sculpture park, visitors will confront ideas of memory, temporality, spirituality, and nature, rendered through the majesty of its ancient backdrop.

Highlights from the ongoing edition include “Doors of Cairo” by Vhils, which alchemizes found street objects into portals between epochs, and Jongkyo Park’s “Code of Eternal,” a geometric work incorporating nearly 1,000 stainless steel mirror dots that flicker into an encrypted message. Additional standouts include Turkish artist Ege Köse’s chromatic reinterpretation of the Shen, a symbol of infinity and divine protection, and the symphony of desert winds sung by Ana Ferrari’s “Wind,” composed of 21 upright, aluminum flutes.

Supported by UNESCO and Art D’Egypte, Forever Is Now continues its mission to foster cross-cultural dialogue and creative exchange. Head to Art D’Egypte’s website for more information on how to visit.

A visitor poses with the installation of Turkish artist Mert Age Kose, “The Shen”, during the fifth edition of “Forever Is Now” contemporary art exhibition at the historical site of the Giza Pyramids, in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP)

CAIRO: Installations by renowned international artists including Italy’s Michelangelo Pistoletto and Portugal’s Alexandre Farto have been erected in the sand under the great pyramids of Giza outside Cairo.

The fifth edition of the contemporary art exhibition “Forever is Now” is due to run to December 6.

The 92-year-old Pistoletto’s most famous work, Il Terzo Paradiso, comprises a three-meter-tall mirrored obelisk and a series of blocks tracing out the mathematical symbol for infinity in the sand.

“We have done more than 2,000 events all around the world, on five continents, in 60 nations,” said Francesco Saverio Teruzzi, construction coordinator in Pistoletto’s team.

“There is an estimate that it’s more or less five million people reached by the message of the Third Paradise.”

The Franco-Beninese artist King Houndekpinkou presented “White Totem of Light,” a column composed of ceramic fragments recovered from a factory in Cairo.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to converse with 4,500 years — or even more — of history,” he told AFP.

South Korean artist Jongkyu Park used the measurements of the Great Pyramid of Giza to create the geometric structures of his installation “Code of the Eternal.”

A thousand small cylindrical acrylic mirrors planted in the sand compose a Morse code poem imagining a dialogue between Tangun, the legendary founder of the first Korean kingdom, and an Egyptian pharaoh.

Farto, better known as Vhils, collected doors in Cairo and elsewhere in the world for a bricolage intended to evoke the archaeological process.

Six other artists, including Turkiye’s Mert Ege Kose, Lebanon’s Nadim Karam, Brazil’s Ana Ferrari, Egypt’s Salha Al-Masry and the Russian collective “Recycle Group,” are also taking part.

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar

Nadine Abdel Ghaffar stands in front of public art work displayed at the pyramids of Giza for the exhibition “Forever is Now”

For centuries, the Pyramids belonged to antiquity. Now, thanks to Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, they’ve become a stage for contemporary art and global fashion — a juxtaposition unthinkable until she made it real.

In 2021, the French-Egyptian curator became the first person to mount a contemporary art exhibition at the UNESCO World Heritage site — a feat that required years of navigating government bureaucracy, convincing skeptical archeologists and proving that modern art could honor rather than diminish one of humanity’s most sacred monuments. Now in its fifth edition, her Forever Is Now has transformed the Giza plateau into the world’s most storied open-air gallery, drawing blue-chip artists, fashion houses and collectors to a site where permits remain notoriously difficult to secure.

Giza at night

This year’s exhibition, running through Dec. 6, features 10 international artists including Arte Povera pioneer Michelangelo Pistoletto, whose Third Paradise installation represents a career highlight for the 92-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee. The work — a mirrored obelisk surrounded by blocks tracing the mathematical symbol for infinity — has traveled to 60 nations, but Pistoletto considers the pyramids its most resonant home. “The pyramids are the base, the origin of our whole story,” the artist said. “They represent the human being’s desire for survival in terms of immortality.”

Portuguese street artist Vhils presents Doors of Cairo, assembled from doors collected throughout the city that become vessels of collective history. Lebanese architect Nadim Karam’s Desert Flowers rises as lotus-like sculptures forged from reclaimed materials. The opening drew designer Angela Missoni, Turkish actress Esra Bilgiç, Egyptian cinema icon Hussein Fahmy and members of the Cairo International Film Festival jury.

Desert Flowers by Nadim Karam

Art D’Égypte, the organization Abdel Ghaffar founded in 2016, operates as both cultural producer and social enterprise. Forever Is Now is its flagship initiative, but the organization first made its mark staging exhibitions at Egypt’s most significant heritage sites — the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, Manial Palace, and historic Al-Mu’iz Street — before arriving at the Pyramids in 2021. The model relies entirely on private sponsorship rather than government funding, a rarity in a region where cultural initiatives typically depend on state support.

“What I was doing was completely unorthodox,” Abdel Ghaffar told WWD. “We don’t have contemporary land art in public spaces in Egypt. I said, ‘OK, let’s show the transcendence we have with our past’, because most contemporary Egyptian artists are influenced by ancient Egypt in one way or another.”

Her influence extends well beyond the art world.

Abdel Ghaffar was instrumental in bringing Christian Dior‘s historic 2022 men’s show to the Pyramids — a collaboration born when chief executive officer Pietro Beccari attended the first Forever Is Now in 2021.

“The Dior experience really touched my heart,” she said. “I’m not from the fashion world, but when I met Maria Grazia and Kim Jones and saw the research and how careful they were about cultural authenticity, I had so much respect. We worked for two years.”

That December 2022 show, with Naomi Campbell, Lewis Hamilton and Robert Pattinson among the 800 guests, shifted how luxury brands view Egypt as a cultural destination. “It is a big step for the government to authorize Art D’Égypte and Dior to organize events at the foot of the pyramids,” she said. “Promoting the country’s culture must be a priority.”

Models pose in the Dior men’s pre-fall 2023 collection in Giza, Egypt. Henar Sherif and Adel Essam/Courtesy of Dior

The exhibition arrives at a pivotal moment for Egypt. The $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum opened this month just 2 kilometers from the Giza plateau, bringing European and Arab royals to Cairo and putting over 100,000 artifacts on display, many never seen before. But Abdel Ghaffar has been building toward this cultural renaissance since 2016, starting at Cairo’s Egyptian Museum before expanding to historic sites across the city.

Her path was shaped by an unconventional upbringing in Alexandria among artists, archeologists and intellectuals. Before founding Art D’Égypte, she managed portfolios for important Egyptian artistic families, working with Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams from her Cairo base.

What distinguishes her approach is treating art as social infrastructure. Her guides program trains local youth with paid honorariums and UNESCO-endorsed certificates, while openings welcome the public before VIPs. “You see a minister, and you see the guy from the shop next door, and you see the little kid wandering behind barefoot,” she said. “We don’t create any segregation. It is really public art.”

Her influence has expanded through CulturVator, her Dubai-based consultancy working across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Greece. As luxury brands seek cultural credibility, she sees opportunity for deeper fashion partnerships.

“We’re open,” Abdel Ghaffar said. “People still talk about that Dior show. Art can change the world. Finding the space where people come together as humans — doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are, or what religion you follow.”