Studio TakhshĪna ستوديو تخشينة

In response to this challenge, the Goethe-Institut will open its auditorium “Studio Takhshīna ستوديو تخشينة" in Bustan to independent artists/groups to work on their artistic processes in a work space environment that is fully equipped and will be open for the full year. 

In Egyptian colloquial Arabic, the word “Takhshīna تخشينة" describes an item you use to aid the functionality and stability of a household item like a wobbly table or a door that is missing a piece to regain either its original mobility or function.

It is our objective for this project to provide the same kind of aid to the independent art scene in Egypt, which is why we chose the name that inspired this meaning from the very heart of the Egyptian culture and everyday life.
 

THE GOETHE-INSTITUT IN BUSTAN

When Ahmed Mohamed Mazloum Pasha came to Cairo in 1920, he had a villa built in the exclusive residential area of Bustan. The plans for the construction came from the French architect Roulan and all materials except the bricks, that are still forming the dominating architectural feature, were imported from France. To this day, Ahmed Mazloum Pasha's initials are engraved on the main entrance.

The 1959 cultural agreement between Republic of Egypt and the Federal Republic of Germany enabled Germany to buy this house in 1961 for the Goethe-Institut. Since then, the building has witnessed many historical moments and has become a landmark cultural hub in the company of other cultural institutions in Downtown Cairo. The building’s event hall will now serve the art scene as the “Studio Takhshīna ستوديو تخشينة”.