Caramblogage

Note: this post was begun on 03.July 2013, just before Morsi was ousted from power.  A long while after the last post, and a second Egyptian uprising against the rule of Mohammad Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood happening as I write, a seemingly unrelated post on a Spring Lessons event that will be taking place tomorrow: Musiksehen Schwarzweiss, or Black & White. The idea was born at the exhibition "Right to Left" curated by EP51 and Uqbar. The exhibition was titled "Arabic and Iranian Visual cultures" and collected works of graphic design by artists from the aforementioned backgrounds. Included, by chance or design, in the exhibition, was a book by Iranian graphic designer Peyman Pourhosein of Studio Khargah . This book revealed to me a visual history of Iranian film in form of posters, vinyl covers, and film stills. Knowing that many films produced before 1979 are banned from screening in the country and connecting the narrative of the Iranian revol...

Later on someone will tell me "Stop trying to make sense of it, just write about what little you see" In that spirit: For what feels like the first time in months, I am in a blue sky with the sun above my head.  Berlin Solidarity demonstration against harassment in Egypt, 25.02.2013  A wish everyone in Berlin is currently expressing is an escape from what has been said to be the grayest winter since winters began being recorded and documented. Having suffered that greyness long enough, and business leading me to Cairo, I am glad to report that the sky remains blue and wide above the cover of clouds. The sun is still hanging in the sky, the clouds, so grey form below, turn into an endless white carpet covering and hiding Germany, until it disappears from sight. This carpet seems to be covering all of Europe- a mountain peak here, a lake there, a hole in the clouds that looks like a floating island… We don't see any land until we're over Africa, and an e...

Every delay has its benefit. Wise words indeed. After so many hints, it is finally time for some reveal, as two projects we set in motion at the beginning of the year finally culminate into programme.  First, a couple of words on the we of things: We are, in this case, Spring Lessons, an international group that defines itself thus: " The Spring Lessons Initiative is an international forum for artistic research. It follows and presents current creative developments and cultural projects, explores new forms of civil self-organisation and creates spaces for dialogue and cultural education." What this means in practice is that we have been putting on a series of Events since the end of 2011. We have been very lucky to be able to collaborate with the likes of the MAD couple , AlFilm , Eka3 , From Here To Fame and many more.  We approached this year with the goal of putting on one event a month, exploring, amongst other things, the revolutionary aspects of S...

Watch this space

Here I go again, hinting at things that will come your way… soon.  

This week brings you four sketches, in pencil, calligraphic marker and Sharpie.In black and white. Now just add some water and watch them bloom!

Origi n ally published by the Arab Spring Collective, whose name I don"t like. I do like the innitiative, though. t had to be the bus. Many trips to Sinai and between Cairo and Alexandria had prepared me for an easy, pleasant, though lenghty travel experience on an air-conditioned bus. They did not prepare me for what turned out to be a demonstration of the new will of the Egyptians to confront authority and demand, if not their basic human rights, at least fair and reliable commercial services. A fresh day had begun, with the sun murkily sihloutting my view of Cairo skyrises. The first thing I did was take a taxi to Torgoman station near Ramsis, the main train station. Today was a day for a bus drive, and long- awaited meetings, fish on the Mediteranean and coffee in the Brasilian Roastery. It was a day for a trip to Alexandria. Upon entering the station, coincidence arranged the now- expected Quranic recital through the public address system. A small crowd was waiting...