Egyptian cosmology in contemporary art is not merely a historical reference, but a symbolic framework through which artists reinterpret ancient concepts of time, creation, and existence to explore perception, memory, and the structure of reality.
Egyptian cosmology is a complex system of thought developed in ancient Egypt to explain the origin, structure, and continuity of the universe. It is grounded in principles such as cyclical time, cosmic balance, and the interdependence between life, death, and regeneration.
Central to this system is the concept of Ma’at — the principle of cosmic order, harmony, and equilibrium — as well as the notion of the Duat, a symbolic realm representing transformation, transition, and the passage between states of existence.
Rather than being understood as mythology in a conventional sense, Egyptian cosmology can be interpreted as a symbolic and philosophical framework through which reality itself is structured and perceived. Time is not linear, but cyclical; existence is not fixed, but continuously transformed.
This perspective offers a radically different ontology, where the universe is understood as a dynamic process rather than a static condition.
In contemporary artistic practice, these cosmological principles are recontextualized and translated into visual, conceptual, and narrative forms. Artists do not replicate ancient imagery, but rather engage with its underlying logic and symbolic depth.
The reinterpretation of Egyptian cosmology allows contemporary art to engage with fundamental questions about existence, perception, and the nature of reality. It provides a conceptual bridge between ancient symbolic systems and current philosophical inquiry.
Within this context, cosmology becomes not a subject of the past, but an active tool for understanding the present.
This conceptual framework is central to the artistic and narrative practice of Dan Aug. His series Dream of a Night in Giza and the novel The Legacy of Neferu emerge from this transdisciplinary exploration, where visual art and narrative converge to reinterpret cosmological structures.
Ma’at · Duat · Cyclical time · Non-linear temporality · Symbolic systems · Cosmology and art · Transdisciplinary practice · Perception of reality
→ What is The Legacy of Neferu? — narrative expansion
→ Dream of a Night in Giza — Explained — visual manifestation
Author: Daniel Augusto Chiesa Lanaro (Dan Aug)