About Farouk Hosny

Farouk Hosny, was born in Alexandria. He studied for five years at the Faculty of Fine Arts, from which he graduated in 1964.

Job Experience

Director, Anfoushy Cultural Palace, Alexandria (1969-1971).
Cultural Attaché and Director of the Egyptian Cultural Centre, Paris, France (1971-1978.
Director of Cultural Administration and Director, Children’s
Director, Egyptian Art Academy and Cultural Counselor, Egyptian Embassy, Rome (1983-1987).
Part-time Professor of Aesthetics University of Suka Gakkai, Japan, where he was offered an honorary Ph.D. in 1993.
Part-time Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University from 1999 till to date.
Minister of Culture and Antiquities (1987-2011).
Member of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Farouk Hosny Foundation for Culture and Arts, from 2019 till to date.

Prizes, Awards and Accreditation Merits

Prize, Cani-sur-mer Festival International, France
Honorary Ph.D., Suka Guy University, Japan, 1993
Culture and Peace Award, Suka Guy University, Japan, 1993
Grand Officer Award, Government of Italy, 1999
Mediterranean Arts Award of the Lazio region for 2005
Mediterranean Sea Award of Arts for 2006
Grand Audio-Visual Award, International Council of Films, Television and Audio-Visuals, UNESCO Paris, July 2007
Grand Montana Forum Award, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 2008
Mediterranean Forum Peace Award, Liei, Italy, 2008
Cultural Personality Award – Sharjah, UAE 2013

Other Positions

Chairman, Supreme Council of Archeology, Egypt.
Chairman, Supreme Council of Culture, Egypt.
Member of the Board of Trustees, Bibliotheca Alexandria.
Member, International Committee, Regional Museums Board.
Member, Plastic Artists Union, Egypt.
Member, Alexandria Atelier Group for Artists and Writers.

When Farouk Hosny assumed his position as Minister of Culture, he restructured the Ministry by establishing and chairing the Supreme Council of Antiquities

He also established several higher institutes at the Arts Academy (University of Arts).
He arranged for sending missions and providing scholarships abroad to obtain academic degrees for graduates of the Arts Academy and employees in the fields of archeology, culture and arts in addition to providing grants for specialized training of employees in cultural activities and management locally and abroad.
He played an active role in the Egyptian National Project for Eradication of Illiteracy by opening classes for males and females in addition to adult literacy classes in cultural establishments which total 530 units in different parts of Egypt.
He took part in enhancing the quality of education and linking it to the entire cultural system by offering courses and providing cultural services in relevant cultural establishments, creativity centers, specialized artistic and cultural centers and Arts Academy with a view to raising the standard of arts apperception and reinforcing cognitive complementarity of students.
He opened a school for non-degree courses to teach, music to children and youth at the Egyptian Opera House.
He opened classes for teaching Egyptian and World history at the museums of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
He established the Cinema College within the Cultural Development Fund to offer non-degree courses to amateurs in various specializations including directing, editing, script-writing and photography. Moreover, he opened classes for teaching the use of Information and Communication Technology at cultural establishments and specialized Creativity Centers.

Farouk Hosny was especially interested in Archeology Museums

He turned the Egyptian Antiquities Authority into the Supreme Council for Antiquities. This change was accompanied by a major excavation and restoration movement as well as the construction of new museums for monuments from different eras: Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Jewish, Coptic and Islamic. This movement involved the great restoration projects including the Sphinx, the Pyramid of Kaphren, the protection and development of the Pyramids area, the Dahshour Pyramids, the tombs of the valley of the Kings, Luxor and Karnak Temples. The Ramesseum , the temples of Madinet Habu, Deir Al-Bahari, Seti I, the rocky temples in Kalabsha island, as well as important excavation works in the temples of Amenhotep III, Al-Ras Al-Sawda’a and Dandara, the salvage of underwater monuments on the coast of Alexandria, the restoration of hundreds of monuments belonging to different periods such as the Jewish Synagogue, the Virgin’s Church, the Red Monastery, the White Monastery, the Citadel of Salaheddin, Al-Hakem’s mosque, Al-Zaher Beibars mosque, entire Islamic cities such as Fowah and Rosetta. This in addition to the major restoration and development project of the historical area in Cairo, Moez Street, comprising the restoration and preservation of 146 archeological buildings in this area throughout the four phases of the project, as well as the restoration and development of the Coptic and Islamic Museum in Cairo.
He also embarked on the renovation and modernization of all state theaters in addition to five new ones. This involved the Sayed Darwish Opera House in Alexandria, the Roman theater also in Alexandria, the Damanhour Opera House in Lower Egypt. These buildings had deteriorated as a result of neglect for a very long time. He also arranged for the construction of a new open-air theater known as “Mahka Al-Qala’a”.

Moreover, He decided to build and develop many national, regional, and specialized museums

The Great Egyptian Museum which is the largest in the world and is now being built in the vicinity of the Pyramids.
The civilization Museum in Al-Fostat, old Cairo which aims at exhibiting all periods of Egyptian civilization.
The Historical Cairo project which is meant to be the largest open museum in the world. It was inaugurated after the restoration of Islamic monuments of Al Moezz Li-din Allah Al-Fatemy strect nd the tourist, commercial and social development of the area.
Suggest the establishment of Al-Azhar tunnel
National Museum of Alexandria
Museum of the Library of Alexandria
Bird Villa Museum
The Luxor “Cachette” museum.
The Luxor Embalmment Museum.
The Nubia Museum in Aswan.
The Akhenaton Museum which is almost completed in Minia.
The Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria.
The museum of the Mohamed Aly Palace.
The Egyptian Textile Museum.
The Islamic Pottery Museum.
The construction of a number of regional museums in the New-Valley, Port-Said, Al-Arish and Taba and Sohag .
The construction of a new building of the Egyptian Modern Art Museum as well as other arts and historical museums such as the Taha Hussein museum, the Arts palace, the Nations Home (Saad Zaghlou House), Saad Al-Khadem and Effat Naguy, one Horizon Gallery and Contemporary Arts Center. Moreover, a number of existing museums were renovated and modernized such as those of Mansura and Denshaway and that of Mahmoud Said and Saif and Adham Wanli- Alexandria.
Farouk Hosny established several cultural palace and specialized creativity centres within archeological sites after their restoration and development, proceeding from his vision that an archaeological site lives by being used and deteriorate if neglected. These include: Al-Manasteril Palaces, Al-Harraoui House, Zeinab Khatorin House, Al-Seheimi House, Prince Taz Palace,Alexandria Creativity Centre, Cairo Creativity Centre, Al-Gazeira Arts Centre, Arts Complex, the Arab School for Cinema and Television.
He builds 28 new cultural houses and palaces in different parts of Egypt which are affiliated to the General Authority for Cultural Palaces which issues two monthly reviews in addition to eleven series of specialized books.
He also established specialized cultural palaces such as: Al-Ghouri Heritage Palace, the Cinema Palace, the Environmental Handicraft Palace, the Art Appreciation Palace in Alexandria, the Children’s Cultural Garden and the Children’s Cultural Palace.
He established the Greater Cairo Library and Giza Library.
He established Talaat Harb Library, Cairo.
He participates in the launched the national project of the Family Library and the project of Reading for All which publishes millions of books annually sold at nominal prices.
He initiated the Village Library Project to service under-privileged and remote villages located far from urban centres. There are 145 village libraries at present in addition to ten new libraries to be opened every year.
The Egyptian National Library (Dar Al-Kutub) was completely developed, reformulated and digitalized. It includes millions of manuscripts and documents. He also establishes two centers for documentation and restoration of manuscripts.
He introduced new artistic activities namely:

○   The Youth Saloon.
○   Cairo Biennale.
○   The Free Experimental Theatre and Al-Hanager Theatre.

Farouk Hosny established new organs and sectors including:

The National Agency for cultural coordination.
The National Centre for Translation which translates famous foreign works from 20 languages into Arabic.
The cultural Production Sector.

Farouk Hosny launched several festivals including:

The Egyptian National Film Festival.
Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre.
Cairo International Film Festival for children.
Short Documentary Film Festival.
Arabic Music Festival.
Aswan International Symposium for Stone Sculpture.
Annual Citadel Music and Song Festival.

Farouk Hosny is well-known for his abstract style, especially in art. His works were exhibited in the most important museums, exhibitions and art centers in the world where he was introduced by the most important art critics including Gessiea Winegar,Dan Cameron, Philippe de Montebello of the USA, Michel Noridany from France, Enzo Bilardello, Giovanni Carladente Lorenza Trucchi and Maria Trenga Beneditti from Italy.

His works were exhibited in several international museums including the Metropolitan Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Fort Lauderdale in Miami, the National geographic Museum, the National Museum of Vienna, le Vittoriano Museum in Rome, Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, Tokyo Art Museum in addition to several Arab and Egyptian Museums.

Exhibitions and galleries in chronological order

Alexandria – palace of culture – Alexandria – 1968
International painting festival – Cagne Sur Mer – France – 1972
Cammionale de Mante la Jolie – France – 1976
Egyptian cultural center – France – 1977
Egyptian cultural center – France – 1978
Zamalek art center – Egypt. – 1978
Egyptian academy Rome exhibition of three Egyptian artists – 1979 – Italy
Egyptian Contemporary Art – Berlin – 1980
Egyptian Contemporary Art – Vienna – 1980
Biennale (Castle of the City) – Marino Italy – 1980
Studio S for Modern art – Rome – 1981
International Festival for Modern Art 25 – Spoleto Italy – 1982
Modern Egyptian Art Cabela de Santa Barbra – Naples Italy – 1982
Gallery Beaux Arts – Venice – 1983
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum – Egypt – 1985
Studio S – Contemporary Art – Rome – 1987
Biennale Kuwait – Kuwait – 1989
Retrospective Exhibition – Zamalek Art Center – Cairo. – 1990
Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain – 1992
Gallery UNESCO org – Paris France – 1995
Raoshan art Gallery – Jeddah SA – 1995 – 1996
Carrousel Museum – The Louvre – France – 1997
National Exhibition of Fine Arts – Egypt – 1997
Vigor art Museum Tokyo – Japan – 1998
Vienna Museum – 1998
Gallery Sursok – Beirut – 1998
El Sharjah – Art Museum – UAE – 1998
Kuwait Art Gallery – Kuwait – 1998
Contemporary Egyptian artist Metropolitan Museum New York – 1999
National Exhibition of Fine Arts – Egypt – 1999
Arab Museum of Fine Arts – Qatar – 2000
National Exhibition of Fine Arts – Egypt – 2001
Gallery Hassan 2 for international Gatherings – Morocco – 2003
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2003
Gallery Doha for Art – Qatar – 2004
National Geographic Explorer Gallery – USA – 2004
Vittoriano Museum Complex – Italy – 2004
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2005
National Exhibition of Fine Arts – Egypt – 2005
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2006
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2007
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2008
Fort Lauderdale museum – USA – 2008
Houston Museum of Fine Arts – USA – 2008
Venice Art Gallery – Egypt – 2008
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2009
Zamalek art Gallery- Cairo – Egypt. – 2010
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum – Egypt – 2011
ARTSPACE – Dubai – UAE- 2013
ART Abu Dhabi – UAE – 2013
Naila Art Gallery – Riyadh – SA – 2014
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum – Cairo. – Egypt 2015
Ward Gallery – Dubai. – UAE 2015
Athr Gallery – Jeddah – SA – 2016
Syra arts Gallery – D-C – USA – 2016
UBUNTU Gallery – Cairo – Egypt – 2017
Picasso East Art Gallery – New Cairo – Egypt – 2018
Contemporary Art Platform – CAP Art Gallery – Kuwait 2018
Dubai Art Fair – UAE- 2019
Picasso Art Gallery –Cairo – Egypt – 2019
Aisha Fahmy Palace – Cairo – Egypt – 2020
Bahrain Gallery – Kingdom of Bahrain – 2022