Egypt in the eyes of Dale Osborn Two of Kamil Vodera's photographs In the shadows of illustrious monuments and beyond the fences of seaside resorts, one can find the Egypt that will remain unseen by most of the regular visitors to this country. It is the Egypt of serene palm groves and meticulously irrigated fields, which are the oases of the traditional way of life. This is the Egypt found in the narrow winding streets of Old Cairo, in the coffeehouses devoid of tourists and in the deserts and inhospitable mountains where a water spring is a treasure and any vegetation a coveted miracle. However, this "traditional" Egypt finds it hard to resist the promises and aggressive expansion of urban development and is disappearing at an ever-increasing pace. On 4 May 2008, the Sony Gallery for Photography, in association with the Czech Institute of Egyptology and the Czech Embassy in Cairo, will present an exhibition titled "Egypt: Metamorphoses", in commemoration of the Czech institute's 50th anniversary. The exhibition comprises two sets of black and white photographs by two photographers who met at the Czech Institute of Egyptology in Prague and who had taken pictures of Egypt. Dale J Osborn, an American zoologist by profession, photographed Egypt during his zoological and botanical expeditions between 1964 and 1967. Osborn applied his sensitive eye and deep understanding to the task of documenting the character of the deserts and the peaceful Nile riverside. Czech photographer Kamil Vodera came to Egypt a quarter of a century later in 1990 and for 16 years he had been the Czech institute's Egyptologists. During this period, he captured the changing nature of Downtown Cairo, as well as villages being swallowed by the sprawling city. The photographs are a patient testament to the metamorphosis of Egypt as a country. These two sets of snapshots overlap in subject. However, they also reflect the different purposes and designs of the photographers. There is a vibrant tension between the serene atmosphere of Osborn's imagery and the urgent and pressing approach of Vodera, who uses his camera to salvage images and scenes from Egypt's recent past. (see Listings p.3) � At the Cairo Capital Club (CCC), president of the Garden City Lions Club, Awatef Serageddin, organised a seminar to discuss the role of the media in advancing society. Among the participants were Al-Ahram back page editor Mona Ragab, filmmaker Abdel-Moneim Sadek, scriptwriter Mustafa Ibrahim, actor-cum-singer Maged El-Masri and musician Mohamed Sultan. Writer Sekina El-Sadat, and Al-Ahram art critic Amal Bakir, as well as media figures Soheir Shalabi, Bahiya Youssef, Samia Abul-Fotouh and Gihan Halawa were present. � The National Organisation for Urban Harmony (NOUH), under the auspices of Samir Gharib, signed an agreement of cooperation with the Friends of Society for Development Association, which aims at developing the Sheraton popular housing area. The signing of the agreement was attended by the deputy head of the NOUH Soheir Hawass, former minister of industry Mahmoud Abdel-Wahab, Iman Negm and engineer Hisham Fathi. � A bevy of movie stars attended the premiere of the film Heaven's Colours starring actress Laila Elwi, actor Farouk El-Fishawi and rising actor Sherif Ramzi. The screenplay was written by Zeinab Aziz and the film was directed by Saad Hendawi. � Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy (Culture Resource) Centre, in collaboration with the Cultural Co-op for Youth in Theatre and Cinema in Lebanon, presents the third round of the biannual Spring Festival from 1 to 24 May 2008. This year, the festival will be held in Cairo and Beirut simultaneously for the first time. The programme will feature artists and writers who have the ability to cross boundaries, not just in the political sense, but also cultural and social boundaries. The events of the festival in Cairo start with a series of concerts featuring Azerbaijani Sufi singer Alim Qasimov, Spanish gypsy flamenco singer Esperanza Fernandez and Lebanese percussionist Rony Barrak, among other artists. (see Listings p.3) � The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of International Cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Executive Secretariat for the Demining and Development of the North West Coast observed the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Attending the event at the Diplomatic Club were Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga, Minister of State for Economic Development Osman Mohamed Osman, National Project Director of the Executive Secretariat for the Demining and Development of the North West Coast Ambassador Fathi El-Shazli, Vice-President of the Egyptian National Post Authority Sherif Battisha and Ambassador Wafaa Bassim, chief of cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, declared by the UN General Assembly, aims to raise awareness of landmines, explosive remnants of war, and help achieve progress towards their eradication.
