Aida Eltorie

Aida Eltorie, is an independent curator and director to Finding Projects Association (Florence). Since 2012, Eltorie launched the new branding for 6 Contemporary Arts gallery (Cairo) and had been handling its exhibition programs until 2013. From her most recent projects are The Maldives Pavilion first national participation at the 55th International Venice Biennale (2013), and "The Changing Room Project" at the 2012 London Festival. She co-curated the late Ahmed Basiony at the 2011 Egyptian Pavilion of the 54th International Venice Biennale, and her past work includes curating "The Changing Room" project at Spazio Qubi in Turin, Italy, the film program at Manifesta 8, under the curatorial auspices of The Chamber of Public Secrets, and the video collective Contemporary Arab Video Encounter (CAVE) at Maraya Art Centre (Sharjah, UAE) leading to the launching of the Maraya Video Archive (aka. MAVA) on video art from the MENASA regions.

Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Practices Journal (Dubai) for two years; Volumes 4, 5, and 6, Eltorie has worked with The Townhouse Gallery of contemporary art (Cairo) for a period of 5-7 years from when the Gallery first opened in Cairo, during which she was also involved with The International Museum of Women (San Francisco) when they first launched in March 2003. By 2007, Eltorie moved to New York whereby she was accepted as a curatorial intern at The Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth Sackler Feminist Art Center, and continued her time there working with Bidoun Magazine for a year and then Christie's auction house with the Indian and Southeast Asian Department.

She independently produced a number of international projects with artists and cultural practitioners from the Middle East and Europe, with various support granted from institutions like ProHelvetia Swiss Arts Council, The Ford Foundation, Mawred Cultural Resource, The British Council, Allianz Stiftung amongst other.

Eltorie has been part of seminars and lectures at Art Basel (2009), The American University in Cairo (2011), the House of World Cultures (Berlin, 2011), The Kunst Akademie (Copenhagen, 2011 & 2012), AICA Conference (Zurich, 2012), Latvia Contemporary Art Centre (Riga, 2013) amongst other. Her published works can be read in catalogues for shows such as the Maldives Pavilion Catalogue: Portable Nation (55th International Venice Biennale 2013), Egyptian Pavilion Catalogue / Ahmed Basiony: 30 Days of Running in the Place (54th International Venice Biennale 2011), The Changing Room: Arab Reflections on Praxis and Times (Turin, Italy 2011), on Jane Jin-Kaisen "Revolution is not a Bird's Eye View, but a Rose is a Rose is a Rose" Monograph (Copenhagen, 2014), Julienne Johnson "Ashes for Beauty" (Los Angeles, 2012), Sama Alshaibi's Vs. Him (Lawrie Shabibi Gallery, Dubai 2011); Patrizio Travagli’s Monograph, MMX (Florence, Italy 2010); Breaking News (2008) and Golden Gates (2009) curated by Daniela da Prato on art from the Arab World and Iran in Paris. Further articles can be found in Contemporary Practices Journal and Rawi Magazine (2008-2011).