Aug 20, 2014 some of the pictures i took of the graffiti in the early days of the revolution have been published in my photo book tahrir square the heart of the egyptian revolution, but since the book was published i have continued to document the street art in the new egypt, and have thousands of graffiti pics stored in archives. Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt posts. Forget all the other books youve seen about revolutionary graffiti in egypt, this is the only one you need. President hosni mubarak had been in power for 3 decades. Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt is with chanel arif. Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt the egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011 immediately gave rise to a wave of popular political and social expression in the form of graffiti and street art that were almost unknown under the old regime. Revolutionary graffiti in egypt in pictures opinion the. But many works are more subtle, reflecting egyptians sly sense of humor. Wall talk their newly released 680page book collects hundreds of photos of graffiti dating from the january 25, 2011. Show one or more of the following video interviews with mayssun succarie, a scholar of social movements and youth culture in the arab world. Cairos graffiti revolution photo 1 pictures cbs news. Many of the walls surrounding the compound are adorned with antiamerican and prorevolutionary artwork, as well as slogans which read down with usa.
Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt home. Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt mia grondahl. Buy revolution graffiti street art of the ne in bulk. Cairos artists have turned their citys walls into a vast social network. Revolution graffiti is a vibrant and comprehensive montage of the graffiti community over the past two years and includes everything from simple handwritten messages to stencils and portraits of martyrs and elaborate murals decorating on mohamed mahmoud street. Egypt revolutionary graffiti preserved in new book picture. Street art of the egyptian revolution forget all the other books youve seen about revolutionary graffiti in egypt, this is the only one you need.
Can art still preserve the revolutionary spirit that spilled out in the graffiti and murals that covered egypts. We are surprised because the book has been already for sale in egypt for nearly a year, stone told us. Egypt seizes graffiti book for inciting revolution edited by street artist and activist don stone, along with design professor basma hamdy, walls of freedom shows how street art came to embody the egyptian peoples revolutionary struggle. Most causes of the 2011 egyptian revolution against mubarak also existed in 1952, when the free officers ousted king farouk. Egypt revolutionary graffiti preserved in new book the graffiti on this wall shows a mother holding a picture of her son, who was killed during the revolution. There was very little street art in egypt before the revolution, says mia. Revolutionary graffiti in egypt in pictures opinion the guardian. Aug 26, 2006 of all of the texts ive read dealing with this broad genre street art graffiti graffiti writing detailing the distinction between street art and its subsets such as graffiti art and predecessors i. From the very beginning of the revolution, street art and artists played a significant role in the. Enriched with essays by artists and experts across many fields, walls of freedom contextualizes the graffiti in the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural backgrounds that have shaped this art of the revolution. Egypt has played a remarkable role in this phenomenon. Egypts revolutionary street artists silenced by new.
The essays are very insightful and the profiles of artists are candid and substantive. This fascinating and beautifully written book is an absolute eye opener into the extraordinary world of papyrus. I dont see myself living now, i feel more like a zombie. Sooorrry i had to sneeeze,,obama is opening all those old dusty books. Not surprisingly, graffiti has also provoked some of the most severe responses from the authorities. The faces depict the fallen of egypt s revolution, a revolution that continues two years after hosni mubaraks departure in february 2011. Customs officials in egypt have seized hundreds of copies of a book on revolutionary graffiti, its reported. Charts the graffiti and street art that proliferated on the streets of egypt following the countrys. Street art of the new egypt auc pres, 20, has just been published to coincide with the 2nd anniversary of egypt s 2011 revolution. There was very little street art in egypt before the revolution, says mia grondahl, a writer and photographer who has lived in cairo since 2001, and whose book revolution graffiti. This book documents the graffiti of the first 2 years of the revolution. It was such a long and continuous battle till we were able to free it, and here it is, the street is ours where the egyptian revolution s graffiti emerged like a giant from a bottle, turning the citys walls into public exhibition.
Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. This is how artist and activist heba helmi opens the preface of her graffiti book, titled gowaya shahid martyr inside me, aiming to immortalize the. We didnt have a revolution so that in the end, they build walls to separate us from them and them from us, said ammar abu bakr, a. Street art of the new egypt, the egyptian people called for freedom, bread and social justice, demands that newlyhatched graffitists translated into stencils and drawings that spread like wildfire in the street all over egypt. Prior to your graffiti art, what type of art did you create. Mia grondahl speaks about revolution graffiti in egypt youtube. First contextualizing cairo graffiti as a tool for revolutionary protest, the article then examines specific writers mahmoud. I think i was expecting a certain type of graffiti book great photos, some interviews with artists, etc. The egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011 immediatel. Wall talk their newly released 680page book collects hundreds of photos of graffiti dating from the jan. But a new generation, born from the revolution that erupted during the arab spring, refuses to forget and insists on recording everything and anything.
A versatile plant that has played a huge ecological and economic role, papyrus is brought into focus by john gaudet in this outstanding book a fascinating read, an enlightening story. Culture egypts powerful street art packs a punch bbc. Graffiti has been among the most powerful art forms and tools of egypt s revolution and the turbulent months since, but it also has proven to be its most v. Since the toppling of mubarak, graffiti has become an alternative media channel, documenting different political events that taking place in the country and paying homage to activists who died. Walls of freedom is the real voice of the egyptian revolution graffiti scene. Street art of the new egypt auc pres, 20, has just been published to coincide with the 2nd. This book will either make you yearn to return to cairo or inspire you to get off your couch and step into the dust, noise and bustle to explore your hometown.
Wow received the book today and it looks fantastic. Street art of the new egypt, mia grondahl showcases work that she came across on the walls of cairo, alexandria, suez and elsewhere over the past two years. Since the start of the arab uprisings the middle east has seen an unparalleled explosion of graffiti. This meticulous, passionate study combines ontheground reporting of the egyptian revolution of 2011 with effective analysis of its causes and achievements. In an article published on december 17, 2014, surti singh, an assistant professor of philosophy at the american university in cairo auc, wrote that a new set of questions is crystallizing about the role of art in contemporary egypt and posed the following questions. Instead of doing just this, you really showed the powerand importanceof paint on walls.
Many slogans which were later sung by the people on the streets first appeared on walls from tunisia to bahrain. A new book moses the egyptian, by jan assmannfinds in the pharaoh akhenatons attempts to banish multiple dieties in favor of a single god the origins of jewish. In response to the recent popular uprising in egypt, revolutionary art has sprung up on the streets of cairo. Egypts forgotten graffiti and the revolution that came to. Egypt confiscates revolution time graffiti book for instigating revolt. Mia grondahls revolution graffiti charts the emergence of a powerful art movement that has spread across egypt s city walls with a heady mix of passion and optimism. Don karl from here to fame publishing, introduces us together with artists from egypt to the forms and transformations of this wall newspapers in twitter format and shows examples of graffiti in arabic countries. Egypts murals are more than just art, they are a form of revolution cairos artists have turned their citys walls into a vast social network. The egyptian revolution, as told through graffiti duke today. Due to the social and political nature of graffiti, it played a very important role in the revolution by representing the aspirations of the people and the longing for freedom and resistance. This colourful snapshot is how egyptian street artist ganzeer responds when i ask about the role graffiti played in the 2011 revolution. Finally my art work is published as part of one of the well written and documented graffiti books walls of freedom.
Infamous egyptian street artist ganzeer told voice of america for example that he. Mia grondahl the egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011 immediately gave rise to a wave of popular political and social expression in the form of graffiti and street art, phenomena that were almost. Sep 18, 20 the dreams, hopes and anger of the egyptian uprising after 2011 found their most direct and emotional expression through graffiti art, a swedish journalist based in cairo told a duke audience wednesday. Basma hamdy and don karl, the authors of walls of freedom, say they have. Preserving egypts graffiti, a new book traces the arc of. Graffiti the art of the masses, by the masses, for the masses has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient greece, the roman empire, and arguably to pharaonic egypt. The egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011 immediately gave rise to a wave of popular political and social expression in the form of graffiti and.
A powerful book that proves protests can be made peacefully and in. This book, is an act within our revolution our continuing revolution. Only 200,000 new jobs were created each year, whereas 700,000 new graduates entered the job market each year. It is a reflection of a country that has long had many different voices, and is now finding more and more ways to express them.
Bbc culture egypts powerful street art packs a punch. This graffiti art shows how egypt s revolution came full circle. If the walls are the book and graffiti the revolutions. Before the revolution, political expression in egypt was stifled amid the cacophony of protest and debate since the revolutionwhich i wrote. Oct 07, 2012 graffiti has been among the most powerful art forms and tools of egypt s revolution and the turbulent months since, but it also has proven to be its most vulnerable and ephemeral. The story of a graffiti revolution sheif abdelmegid egyptian association for books 2011 isbn 9789772071029. This graffiti art shows how egypts revolution came full. A new cause of the arab spring is the increase in population, which increased unemployment. Graffiti, the strong voice of revolutionaries egypt.
Egypts revolutionary graffiti street graffiti in egypt evokes the january 25th uprisingand suggests that the revolution is by no means over. These videos present succaries perspective on the youtube video and the role of graffiti in egypt s revolution. The egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011. He shares two similar moments when he was thrust into the flow of unfolding events as artists like him captured the popular imagination.
Alastair sooke is an art critic for the daily telegraph. Bahia shehabted fellow, islamic art historian and artist walls of freedom in my opinion is going to be the most honest and professional documentation of the egyptian graffiti movement in our time. Egypts customs services in alexandria have seized 400 copies of walls of freedom, a book depicting egypts street graffitti art in the context of the 2011 uprising, for instigating revolt. It also includes interviews with some of the street artists. Amid the cacophony of protest and debate since the revolutionwhich i wrote about for the magazine this weekthere has been. Most of the artistic works collected and documented by heba helmi in the book are no longer available because they were erased from the walls by the authorities. A new book on egypt s post revolution graffiti wave is turning to crowdfunding to cover its production costs. Graffiti photos by mia grondahl, from 2011 until now. Since the revolution broke out, graffiti has been used as a tool to voice opinion and reflect on. For egypts graffiti artists, revolution brings inspiration. Ahmed alsayyad, the ministrys undersecretary, told almasry alyoum that the book contains elements that give advice on confronting police and army forces. The book profiles a hundred graffiti artists whose street art transformed egypt s walls into a visual testimony of bravery and resistance, as its publishers put it.
The schools walls on the street were covered with graffiti, only it was not professor mansour hesitates politely, very good graffiti. Revolution graffiti introduces this diverse art scene that exists in egypt today, a scene that is comprised of many people with dynamic messages and styles. Egypt revolutionary graffiti preserved in new book from egypt revolutionary graffiti preserved in new book egypt walls see more. Egypt s graffiti the unmediated voice of people there is a systematic attempt to modify history, says the coauthor of a book recently banned in cairo. Apr, 2016 this book will either make you yearn to return to cairo or inspire you to get off your couch and step into the dust, noise and bustle to explore your hometown. Egypt s customs services in alexandria have seized 400 copies of walls of freedom, a book depicting egypt s street graffitti art in the context of the 2011 uprising, for instigating revolt, says the finance ministry. It is probably one of the most comprehensive collections of the street art that flourished in the wake of the 25 january 2011 uprising.
May 26, 2011 revolutionary graffiti in egypt in pictures revolutionary graffiti in egypt in pictures. Mia grondahl, who has lived in the middle east since 1996 and has studied graffiti art throughout the region, said the work of the artists traced the spirit of the uprising and the conflicts. The egyptian revolution that began on 25 january 2011 immediately gave rise to a wave of popular political and social expression in the form of graffiti and street art, phenomena that were almost unknown in the country under the old regime. Many places in cairo are home to revolutionary graffiti art. Apr 10, 2012 egypts revolution graffiti brings down barricades. This collection of graffiti from various artists of the 2011 revolution is considered an important archive for different phases of the revolution as expressed in street art. Graffiti has been among the most powerful art forms and tools of egypt s revolution and the turbulent months since, but it also has proven to be its most vulnerable and ephemeral. Oct 03, 2011 for egypts graffiti artists, revolution brings inspiration and uncertainty.
Egypt seizes graffiti book for inciting revolution dazed. Street art of the egyptian revolution karl, don stone, hamdy, basma, soueif, ahdaf on. Street art of the egyptian revolution every one now will know more about gika, eissa, aboobaida and a lot of other martyrs stories finally i can feel how important my work is and how i can change the whole world with. April 7, 2015 there is a lot of screaming in cairo that wow is destroying the graffiti from the revolution. Graffiti on cairos concrete veins tells one ugly truth. Graffiti of the egyptian revolution by sherif boraie.
In egypt, it has spread widely, especially after the revolution, when the art represented the images that the new generation wanted for the future. Revolution graffiti street art of the new egypt home facebook. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Dec 12, 20 as mia grondahl explains in the preface to her new collection of photographs, revolution graffiti.
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