Ambit Oxyrhynchus | El-Bahnasa | Egypt

For immediate Release

El-Bahnasa, November 14, 2022

"Life for a dream" is the new mural work that Gabarron has created inside the archaeological site of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.

The Spanish artist has concluded the sixth edition of “Ambit” at the Spanish Archaeological Mission in El-Bahnasa

After three hours and forty minutes of direct action life on a canvas of 3 x 9 meters (9 x 29 feet), Cristobal Gabarron (Mula, 1945. Murcia), has paid tribute this morning to the world of archeology and anthropology as essential disciplines for the defense and protection of historical and artistic heritage, through his proposal "Ambit", which brings together artistic creations on biodiversity and heritage values.

In his artistic proposal highlights the identity and cultural values of a specific habitat of the globe, on this occasion the high necropolis of Oxyrhynchus in the city of El-Bahnasa, 190 km south of Cairo.

The action painting started after the presentation carried out by the co-directors of the Spanish Archaeological Mission of Oxyrhynchus, Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, Chief Curator of the Department of Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities of the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid and Dr. Maite Mascort Roca, Universitat de Barcelona-IPOA: "it is now 30 years since the University of Barcelona began the archaeological excavations at this site, one of the largest in Egypt, which covers a broad chronological framework: from the Saite period to the Christian-Byzantine period, including the Persian and Greco-Roman period, that is, from 664 BC to the 7th century AD".

Then, in the presence of the highest cultural authorities of the Minya Region, Gamal Al Faqir, Director of Egyptian Archaeology of Maghagha District and Salama Zahran, Director of the Islamic Archaeology Department of El-Bahnasa, in front of more than a dozen antiquities inspectors and policemen, the curator of this edition, Professor of Cairo University, Dr. Hassan Amer, invited the participating musicians to perform the Egyptian national anthem to kick off the event.

The thinker and singer, Cheikh Ragab Al Bahnasawi, with musicians Ahmed Mohammed (violin), Ahmed Seif (flute), Ramadan Hassan (tambourine) and Ahmed Rachidi (drums) from the cities of El-Bahnasa, Sandafa and Monshaet El Yousofy, alternated music indigenous to that part of the Nile with improvised contemporary melodies, provoking a dialogue between Gabarron and the archaeological site itself.

Dr. Francisco Sanchez Medrano, director of the School of Architecture of the UCAM, expert in heritage recovery and sustainability, taking advantage of the circumstance of the COP27 climate summit organized by the United Nations in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, began his reflection on the ability to respond to the challenges of the environment by understanding the dual aspect between nature and legacy. 

The painter and art critic of Al-Ahram newspaper, Amani Zahran, who traveled from Cairo for this occasion, commented "I am dazzled by this original and beautiful proposal of fusion of artistic disciplines, promoted by the renowned artist Cristobal Gabarron, which extols the importance of our culture and highlights the important work carried out by foreign archaeological missions in our country".

Accompanied by Cándido Creis, Cultural Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in Cairo, were the researchers of the Spanish mission: Bibiana Agustí, anthropologist and archaeologist, Bernat Burgaya, restorer specialized in archaeology, Pilar Vallalta, archaeologist and restorer, Ibrahim Amer, archaeologist and José Javier Martínez García, archaeologist of the University of Murcia specialized in paleochristianity.

"Life for a dream"

In Cristobal Gabarron's own words, "this work reflects my particular vision of that enigmatic transit that the ancient inhabitants of this civilization dedicated to death, through the path of life. In other words, the dream of the Egyptians was to reach eternity, for which they prepared themselves throughout their lives. The work is a syncretic work based on both current and archaeological culture from the discoveries of Oxyrhynchus that I base on supposed ideas that I make myself and some things that I interpret in my mind, let's say in a magical way. The piece is a balance between a world or space of a hand, on the left side, which at the same time is a foot of the one who starts that path through the fish Oxirrinco, which gives its name to the site with which one walks that path pursuing that dream to be immortal after death. The architecture of the work is in H with two volumetric elements in vertical on the sides and one in horizontal in the center composed by a boat that sails through the underworld towards that "paradise" represented in that rounded mass on the right represented by a perfect and beautiful sky full of stars like the one in Tomb number 1 of the Saite period."

This sixth edition of "Ambit", filmed by the Murcian filmmaker Juan Alfonso Moreno, director and producer of GMTV, completes the beginning of this "world tour" from an anthropological and cultural perspective, which after starting its journey in February in Spain has already visited India, Germany, the United States and Malta. In 2023, "Ambit" will visit Nepal, Australia, Chile and Canada, among other places. The idea is that this initiative will continue for three years reaching geographical enclaves of special interest to Gabarrón located in the five continents.

More information:    www.gabarron.org/Ambit

E-mail: prensa@gabarron.org

Dpt. of Communication | Gabarron Foundation