Caramblogage

Part of Spring Lessons is not just documentation, but active participation in giving people a voice and finding simple, yet effective ways of doing so. In this case, noticing that demonstrations in Berlin consisted mostly in a lot of shouting at walls, a team went out to give the participants in a demonstration in front of the German Foreign Office in Berlin the possiblity  to relay their statements directly to Egypt. We shot about 35 15- second segments, recording the name and demand of the individual interviewee. Thanks to the hard and wonderful work of Kareem Kandiel, who shot and edited this. Marianne Wagdy, translator extraordinaire is responsible for the subtitles. I hope other Egyptians across the world will take up this idea and emulate it. What are the Spring Lessons?

This is to say that this now exists: Spring Lessons / دروس الربيع Initiative is an international network for socio- cultural events ---------------------------------------------------- Description We are an international network of artists, academics, curators, designers, filmmakers, journalists, musicians, storytellers, teachers and others who support, initiate and carry out cutural projects that further an understanding of freedom of speech & space, human rights and a global dialogue. Info In the wake of the uprisings in Arab countries, the Middle East, Gulf states and MENA region, an incredible wealth of new images, sounds and sensations have reached the world. In turn violent, beautiful, moving or shocking, this input has also generated an unprecedented artistic and cultural activity and international recognition for artists and cultural activists from the region. The uprisings have also inspired people worldwide to re-examine the situation closer to home and ...

Voting in the Egyptian Parliamentary elections has become a very complicated issue. Beginning with about 50 parties, with daily additions and subtractions from the rolls, continuing with the three-month process of electing those parties to office across provinces, combined with continuing violence in Egyptian cities, at a lull now, result in an unstable mixture of emotion, politics. international concern and personal stories. A clash of voices and jokes about teargas and mustard gas being used to subdue protesters, calls to boycott the elections, Egyptians abroad having to vote until Saturday getting notice of it today, Islamist losing in popularity, the appointment of a new Prime Minister by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (or SCAF, for those tired of writing about them), the formation of a National Salvation Government. We remember January as we take to the streets in Berlin, in more than one way. It's cold and our toes are freezing off as we stand in front of the Egy...

Did I ever mention that I've been working on a project I actually grew to love as I understood more about it? The Egypt Electionnaire  is, for me, a very political project. Based on a July survey of the parties on the electoral Roll for the November Parliamiamentary elections in Egypt by ANHRI & MICT , it asks the user 29 questions. These were asked of the parties during the survey. It then calculates the best suited party for the voter according to concurrences in answers to the questions and displays the result. It's that simple, really. The making of it involved some reflection on the circumstances in Egypt, the flow of thought in the country, the political and social currents. And finally arriving to the conclusion that if people are to vote, they should be able to inform themselves from independent sources and be offered assistance before making their choice of party. By the making of the electionnaire itself hangs a tale, which will be told. In a bit of time. ...

… is actually Saras story, an installation & Event on at the Maximilliansforum in Munich until the Beginning of December. I just provided some Arrows for pointed storytelling. 

Flyers printed. 'nuff Sed.