The return of the Alexandria Biennale signals a renewed effort to position Egypt as a cultural hub for the Mediterranean and Africa. Photo by AMIR MAKAR/AFP via Getty Images

In September of next year, the Alexandria Biennale will return with its 27th edition, curated by artist Moataz Nasr. “This Too Shall Pass,” Nasr told The Art Newspaper, will bring together the work of fifty-five artists from the Mediterranean basin in its main program. Alongside that program, capsule exhibitions in Alexandria museums will spotlight emerging Egyptian talent, signaling both a revival of the biennale’s historic legacy and an investment in the city’s cultural future.

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The biennale was last held in Alexandria in 2014, when it briefly relaunched after being suspended in 2011 due to Egypt’s precarious political situation and financial pressures. Unlike earlier editions, which were entirely state-funded, this revival is backed by a public-private partnership—one of the few viable models as institutions worldwide grapple with shrinking public support. The organizing committee includes officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Culture alongside private patrons active on the international art scene, such as Mai Eldib, Ahmed Shaboury, Hisham El-Khazindar, Rasheed Kamel and architect

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