A startling discovery might be made in an apartment complex in Zamalek, Cairo’s opulent western neighbourhood where historic structures transport tourists to the illustrious past of the Egyptian capital: Tintera is a white-walled gallery and consultancy that specialises in both Egyptian and foreign photographers’ images of Egypt. Heba Farid and Zein Khalifa founded it in 2019 with the intention of enhancing the visibility of both modern and historic Egyptian photography.
Photographers from all over the world flocked to Egypt when photography first started to become widely famous in the 19th century CE to capture not only the nation’s numerous old structures but also, as Farid puts it, “its profusion of light.”
According to Khalifa, Tintera is dedicated to improving the standing and worth of fine art photography in Egypt. “We are exporting ‘another Egypt,’ and in the process, we are establishing a solid collector base, grabbing curators’ attention, and enticing both specialised and broad audiences.
The founders’ objectives are demonstrated by Tintera’s “Summer Portfolio” show, which features artwork from their roster of more than 20 artists.
Along with numerous framed or matted prints, a sizable collection of portfolio boxes is on display in the main exhibition space. Visitors are welcome to handle the prints directly (again, with the supplied gloves, of course), and a thin hanging rail has been constructed so they may choose what they want to see. A rare delight, such a close treatment of fine-art photography.
Maria Saba, an up-and-coming Egyptian visual artist, explores problems of identity and place in the two nations and cultures she lives in through her “Urban Jungle” series, which features photographs of the artist in various stances in open-air urban settings in Egypt and France. The nostalgic, depressing, and eerie black-and-white images are disturbing; Saba appears to be looking for herself in the midst of these vast, always shifting urban landscapes.
The gallery is hosting Tintera’s “Summer Portfolio” exhibition through September 7.
