If there’s one place that never sleeps when it comes to art, it’s Downtown Cairo. From its cinematic architecture to its buzzing passageways, it’s where nostalgia meets the now. And this month, it’s already glowing brighter than ever. The Cairo International Art District (CIAD) has officially kicked off, once again transforming Downtown into an open-air gallery where every corner tells a new story.
What is CIAD?
Brought to life by Art D’Égypte, CIAD turns the heart of Cairo into a living, breathing hub of contemporary art. Now in its fifth edition, the festival explores how past art movements have shaped modern visual languages — with artists reworking traditional techniques, blending eras, and experimenting with overlapping narratives.
160 local and international artists are taking over iconic spaces, transforming history-soaked walls into portals of imagination and conversation.
Expect seven main exhibitions — Glitched, Is Love a Stigma?, On Clay Tablets, Stars, and more — each weaving together stories about connection, memory, and time.
When Is It Happening?
CIAD runs from October 12 to November 16, 2025, filling Downtown with color, sound, and movement for over a month.
Where to Find It
This year’s exhibitions unfold across Kodak Passageway and Shorbagy Building — home to Villa Violet, Villa Victoria, Welad El Balad, and the rooftop.
Works We’re Excited to See
Mina Isaac – Untitled, Part of “Is Love a Stigma?”
Amid a sea of empty, silent boats, one vessel shelters an exceptional human moment — a quiet encounter bound by the warmth of a shy touch, while the cold world watches in silence. Mina Isaac’s work captures that delicate defiance: love persisting even when shunned. It’s a hauntingly beautiful reminder that tenderness can be an act of rebellion.
Heba Tarek – “Sleep Mode: Cairo, 2025”
Think of this as a dream glitched halfway between fantasy and memory. Heba Tarek’s surreal composition feels like scrolling through half-remembered dreams — tropical chaos, retro glamour, and flickering fragments that refuse to settle. It’s a vivid, disorienting reminder that memory is never static, and beauty often lies in distortion.
Downtown, Reimagined
From the echoing corridors of the Shorbagy Building to the neon-lit Kodak Passageway, CIAD isn’t just an art exhibition — it’s a citywide experiment in creativity. Each space tells a different story, inviting Cairo’s past and present to collide through paint, pixels, and emotion.
So grab a coffee, wander through the alleys, and let Downtown remind you why it’s still the beating heart of Egypt’s art scene.
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