Giacometti Goes to Ancient Egypt in New Metropolitan Museum of Art Installation
Loans from the Fondation Giacometti have time travelled to the Temple of Dendur this summer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled a harmonious juxtaposition of eras this week with “Giacometti in the Temple of Dendur,” an installation of 17 works by 20th-century artist Alberto Giacometti against the backdrop of the 1st century B.C. Egyptian temple. The exhibition includes 14 sculptures on loan from the Fondation Giacometti. It showcases the inspiration that Giacometti took from ancient art. Works featured in the exhibition include 1932’s Walking Woman (I), displayed in the Temple’s entry hall, and Women of Venice, from 1956.
“By situating Giacometti’s work in dialogue with the Temple of Dendur, this installation underscores how deeply the ancient world shaped modern artistic expression,” observed Max Hollein, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan, adding, “‘Giacometti in the Temple of Dendur’ reflects The Met’s unique ability to offer new perspectives by bringing works of art from different times and cultures into conversation.”
The Temple of Dendur has been a highlight of the Met since it was first installed in 1978. It was a gift from Egypt to the U.S. in 1965, when it faced destruction due to flooding from construction of the Aswan High Dam. The Temple was originally built to honor the goddess Isis, but it also has references to local Nubian deities and the Roman Emperor Augustus. The exterior is carved in sunken relief, while the exterior is carved in raised relief. Dendur also bears the marks from centuries of graffiti-prone tourists. Viewed alongside Giacometti, the reliefs make his love for the art of the ancient world clear from the silhouettes alone.
“Placing Giacometti’s sculptures around and within the Temple of Dendur invites us to reconsider the monument not only as an extraordinary work of ancient architecture but as a living sacred environment,” said Aude Semat, associate curator for Egyptian Art, continuing, “The installation foregrounds the temple’s original spatial and symbolic functions while opening a dialogue across millennia about how sculpture mediates presence and belief.”
“Giacometti in the Temple of Dendur” is on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through September 8, 2026.