About the exhibition

Known for its remarkable Egyptian collection (the largest in Wallonia and the second largest in Belgium!), the Royal Museum of Mariemont invites its visitors to discover another Egypt with its new exhibition Egypt. Everlasting passion. This revisited Egypt spans 2000 years, from Roman antiquity to the present day, and presents works in which artists or craftsmen have been inspired by ancient Egypt and its main cultural references.

The Royal Museum of Mariemont is interested in the reception of Antiquity in contemporary society and has made a clear observation: Ancient Egypt has always been at the heart of our imagination! It has never ceased to inspire us, intrigue us, fascinate us, challenge our own identity. It can be found everywhere: from museum works to children's toys, from public fountains to interior decorations, from collections of antiquities to comic books, from travelogues to souvenir photos, from artistic creations to celebrity magazines, from cinema accessories to video games! Why is it so successful? And how does it manifest itself in the West? What do we remember about the land of the Pharaohs?

The exhibition is a true mirror of our society. Ancient Egypt is part of our daily lives. We are surrounded by "Egypt-makers" who convey ideas and images that have their roots in the Nile Valley. A dog-headed god, hieroglyphs, a pyramid or a mummy are "Egyptian" in our minds and are the origin of the sometimes surprising productions proposed in the exhibition.

From the Isis of the Gallo-Romans to Rihanna as Nefertiti, via Jean-François Champollion and Raoul Warocqué, the exhibition deliberately mixes references and media that construct this other Egypt. Through a living room, a games room, a library and a garden, the scenography shows that the land of the pharaohs is part of our daily lives! The exhibition Egypt. Everlasting passion invites the visitor to an introspection: "What is Egyptian about you?