Egyptian conceptual photographer and visual artist "Waseem Emam" is participating in the group exhibition "Art and Literature: A Tribute to Tracy Chevalier, presented at "Galleria Arca di Noesis", in Rome’s Colosseum district, from October 20 to 25, 2026, as part of Rome Art Week (RAW).
The exhibition brings together 25 selected artists in a multidisciplinary encounter between visual art and literature, exploring the ways artistic practices can interpret, reinterpret, and expand upon literary narratives. By bringing together diverse creative voices, the exhibition opens up a dialogue between different forms of expression, revealing unexpected connections between image, text, memory, identity, and the human experience.
Rossana Plasidi: Art as a Dialogue Between Experiences and Cultural Boundaries
Curator Rossana Plasidi explains her vision for the project:
“I view artistic practice as an integrated whole, in which different forms of expression and individual experiences are not separate from one another, but rather constitute multiple facets of a single creative experience.
Another aspect I am committed to supporting is what I call "locally rooted art": artistic production that emerges from its cultural and social environment and often develops outside the conventional pathways of the mainstream art market. I believe this art has the capacity to express the distinctive character and identity of a place, while remaining open to creative dialogues and connections that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries.
This is the spirit I aspire to embody in this exhibition: to create an open space where diverse artistic voices can meet, where their perspectives and experiences can engage in dialogue, and where the subtle connections that unite them can be revealed. In this space, each experience can retain its distinctive identity while contributing to a broader creative fabric in which differences coexist and interact, giving rise to new possibilities for understanding and communication.
Tracy Chevalier: Literature, History, and the Human Experience
"Tracy Chevalier" is an American-British novelist born in Washington, D.C., in 1962. She is internationally renowned for her historical novel "Girl with a Pearl Earring", which reimagines the world surrounding the celebrated painting by Johannes Vermeer. Her novels frequently explore women’s lives, human relationships, social transformation, and the ways personal stories intersect with broader historical and cultural forces.
Through this tribute, the exhibition celebrates the enduring dialogue between literature and the visual arts, highlighting their shared capacity to reinterpret history, question established perspectives, and illuminate the complexity of human experience.
Rome Art Week: A Platform for Contemporary Art and Independent Experimentation
This edition of Rome Art Week holds particular significance as it celebrates the eleventh anniversary of the event’s launch. According to figures released for the 2026 edition, the programme brings together more than 644 professional artists and 70 curators from across the city.
Rome Art Week is an annual event dedicated to contemporary art, providing a dynamic platform for independent artistic production and creative experimentation. It brings together artists, galleries, art project spaces, curators, critics, and cultural institutions.
The event aims to strengthen the visibility of Rome’s contemporary art scene, which is often overshadowed by the weight of the city’s rich historical heritage. It does so by championing openness, independence, quality, and connectivity, while placing particular emphasis on the role of the artistic community and the future of contemporary art.
Throughout Rome Art Week, the city transforms into an expansive artistic landscape where diverse practices coexist and local and international perspectives interact. This creates new opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of experiences, further reinforcing Rome’s position as a vibrant meeting point for contemporary art.