So yes, I am in Egypt.
I had hoped to write few posts, beginning with how air you breathe has changed and how you notice it the moment you leave the airport and a new abundance of hope.
The latest shift in the wind, caused by the killing of about 75 people after a football game, has me writing about fear instead.
There are be those who will try to crush hope through fear. The dominant undercurrent of many conversations has been fear. I have heard of violence, murders, kidnappings, bank robberies. People have spoken of how thing were safer under the old regime, of how such things used not to happen. Which is true, in part. Maybe they were not covered before. Maybe there was a police force in place, who, matter how ineffective, corrupt and undertrained, did keep some measure of land order in place. Maybe things were better. But why did they get worse?
Let's go back couple of weeks. The emergency law was lifted, a piece of very good news. With a single caveat. In case of thuggery, it will be reinstated. From what I hear, there has been of of thuggery going on lately. Even if it not all planned, or factored into the current state budget, it is being allowed to happen. The scarcity of police the streets is noticeable, and their absence at the football games is much discussed.
Walking through an Zamalek this morning, everyone was holding a newspaper. The word on the street was naturally about yesterdays events. The difference between observing from afar and actually being here is seeing, and above all emphathising with the reaction. Long, distraught faces everywhere, anger in many eyes, compassion and sympathy mixed in there. Trying to make sense of what I was myself feeling, I went to get a haircut. I didn't have much to say, as Amr cut my hair much shorter than I had asked.
However, the halting conversation between him and the cleaner was a revelation into how the perception of media and how closely, even dutifully, scrutinise the content delivered to them. "Even before the game, they were showing us violent pictures. And then the pictures of the event itself... they are tying to scare us. There was a university professor on television, he was saying it was all planned..." he went on in this vein for a while. I was impressed, both by how much media he had watched and of his critical eye towards it.
I suppose he is afraid as well. On the way back, I was talking to a friend about what I was seeing, narrating expressions, trying to analyse and project the big picture. Zamalek is empty. People are afraid. Will emergency law be re-instated? Will they now want the police force back, in spite of the general mistrust felt towards them? Is all of this part of an organised campaign of fear? In absence of bread, are the people now also to be deprived of circuses?
Apart from yesterdays happenings, I have seen much that gives me hope: Open Mike sessions, Plays, exhibitions, arts and open discussion on the streets. Individuals, active and emotionally tired, are working hard in many ways to preserve the freedoms and self-respect that many individuals have discovered through the revolution.
Which bring me to a question I feel needs to be asked: What shape would a campaign of hope, not necessarily related to revolutionary activities, look like?
February 2, 2012
January 15, 2012
MGW Berlin: Why
The Echo and the Origin.
One of the reasons Mad Graffiti Week in Berlin is a good idea is the inspirational value of of a good bombfest. Slightly edgy, just a bit illegal, it allows Egyptian artists living in Berlin to finally join in where they have been missing out and bring their work where they feel it belongs- into the public space.
This comes back to a slogan that I hear every now and then "Reclaim your City". Cut off from home and with no possibility of immediate return, many who live here feel useless and it is important to be able to take direct action in what is a volatile and sensitive time in the Egyptian uprising. It is important to be able to create your own space, your own personal piece of revolution abroad. It is about leaving a lasting impression on your surroundings and feel that you have done your bit.
Most of the visual artists I know in Berlin would go to demonstrations and silently hold up a slogan, or a piece of artwork, feeling that written words speak louder than words screamed at the wall (see also globaltahrir). A clear and legible message will be better received than a slightly garbled youtube video of a demonstration. Berlin having become a strange extension of Cairo (or an Egyptian city of your choice), artists living here are happy to join in this act of vandalistic self- expression.
It is also, quite naturally, a show of support for the people in Egypt, and a reminder to the local authorities that if they do anything in regards to the country that does not jive, there are those who will hold them to account.
Our message is, as mentioned previously, bilingual and focused at a German audience as well. For instance, this is an opportunity to confront the German citizen with the fact that many of the Guns used in Egypt (and other uprisings) are produced by that famous paragon of Teutonic Arms production, Heckler and Koch. We cannot begin to guess what kind of money is flowing behind the scenes, or what kinds of other weapons are being exported. For a country that officially puts human rights as highly on its agenda as Germany, this is nothing short of betrayal of principle.
We have heard very little condemnation of the acts of the SCAF and affiliates here. In stead the media picture presented to us is one of a country slipping into disrepair and self-abuse.
"This is an appeal to save lives" says one Ganzeer / Mo Fa.
It's that too, but it's also an attempt to retain our sanity and engage in some direct, positive action in stead of just reblogging the latest news or talking about what we can do from here – a human rights congress sounds a bit useless right now, sorry OMRAS.
We shouldn't forget the "save lives" bit though. This kind of activity, which it appears all of Cairo is engaging in, allows people to claim their surroundings as their own, something no amount of turpentine or cleaning crews can take away from them "I am here, I am proud to be here, and this is a sign that I support this uprising."
And so, onwards into the night.
One of the reasons Mad Graffiti Week in Berlin is a good idea is the inspirational value of of a good bombfest. Slightly edgy, just a bit illegal, it allows Egyptian artists living in Berlin to finally join in where they have been missing out and bring their work where they feel it belongs- into the public space.
This comes back to a slogan that I hear every now and then "Reclaim your City". Cut off from home and with no possibility of immediate return, many who live here feel useless and it is important to be able to take direct action in what is a volatile and sensitive time in the Egyptian uprising. It is important to be able to create your own space, your own personal piece of revolution abroad. It is about leaving a lasting impression on your surroundings and feel that you have done your bit.
Most of the visual artists I know in Berlin would go to demonstrations and silently hold up a slogan, or a piece of artwork, feeling that written words speak louder than words screamed at the wall (see also globaltahrir). A clear and legible message will be better received than a slightly garbled youtube video of a demonstration. Berlin having become a strange extension of Cairo (or an Egyptian city of your choice), artists living here are happy to join in this act of vandalistic self- expression.
It is also, quite naturally, a show of support for the people in Egypt, and a reminder to the local authorities that if they do anything in regards to the country that does not jive, there are those who will hold them to account.
Our message is, as mentioned previously, bilingual and focused at a German audience as well. For instance, this is an opportunity to confront the German citizen with the fact that many of the Guns used in Egypt (and other uprisings) are produced by that famous paragon of Teutonic Arms production, Heckler and Koch. We cannot begin to guess what kind of money is flowing behind the scenes, or what kinds of other weapons are being exported. For a country that officially puts human rights as highly on its agenda as Germany, this is nothing short of betrayal of principle.
We have heard very little condemnation of the acts of the SCAF and affiliates here. In stead the media picture presented to us is one of a country slipping into disrepair and self-abuse.
"This is an appeal to save lives" says one Ganzeer / Mo Fa.
It's that too, but it's also an attempt to retain our sanity and engage in some direct, positive action in stead of just reblogging the latest news or talking about what we can do from here – a human rights congress sounds a bit useless right now, sorry OMRAS.
We shouldn't forget the "save lives" bit though. This kind of activity, which it appears all of Cairo is engaging in, allows people to claim their surroundings as their own, something no amount of turpentine or cleaning crews can take away from them "I am here, I am proud to be here, and this is a sign that I support this uprising."
And so, onwards into the night.
Mad Graffiti Week OMU
Hello and welcome back to the bilingual design section of this blog.
And to Mad Graffiti Week, Berlin as well.
In these very political weeks of graffiti, the message is more or less everything. In order to convey and sometimes adapt the message so that it can be understood or adapted to the local lingo. OMU in German means Original mit Untertiteln, which means subtitled version.
And to Mad Graffiti Week, Berlin as well.
In these very political weeks of graffiti, the message is more or less everything. In order to convey and sometimes adapt the message so that it can be understood or adapted to the local lingo. OMU in German means Original mit Untertiteln, which means subtitled version.
Trouvé sur les rues de Berlin
January 11, 2012
7'altak Floul?
Aimed squarely at giving individual citizens the tools to spread awareness to the Remnants (Feloul) who still support the NDP/ Mubarak regime, through videos documenting the misdeeds of said system.
I was asked, almost by accident, to develop a logo for them.
In Berlin, with Hanaa el Degham, we came up with a couple of ideas, documented below.
December 25, 2011
Stories from an Imaginary Revolution: Sing!
Page one of Sing!
In Arabic…
All you lovely Arabic editors out there: Please correct, my written is awful.
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