Monkey See, Monkey Do

Speak no evil. See no evil. Hear no evil.

Who is the monkey? SCAF or the Egyptian people-- does SCAF want to prevent the Egyptian people from knowing the truth or are the people ignoring it themselves?

This stencil first appeared during the 28 October demonstrations. I have seen 6 or 7 of the stencils around Midan Tahrir, far less than the number of other stencils.

The Cow

Translation: "The Cow calling haha [name of the cow's owner] and say to my children [the people] haha and the good people with manners, haha, deeply sleeping."

"Al Bukra tnady haha w tkool ya wlady haha w wlad elshoom haha rayheen fe elnoom haha"

The street art is a spoof of the famous Egyptian song "البقرة النطاحة" "Elbkra elntaha" [The Cow who moves his head to hit someone]. The song was a popular refrain during the Revolution. The stencil first appeared during the 28 October demonstrations.

In the song...A man has a cow on which his livelihood depends, but the foreigners stole his cow & all her milk. His cow calls the men with the good manners to come and save her as she's being stolen, but everyone was sleeping. The cow is overwhelmed by her captives and falls into a well in her struggle. "She falls from fear."

Ahmed Fouad Negm wrote this song in 1967 after the "nkba" [catastrophe], i.e. Israeli victory of The Six-Day War in which Israel seized the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.

In this context: the cow is Sinai Penninsula, those sleeping are the Egyptian military and the foreigners are Israeli.

But who is the cow now? Maybe the revolution is the cow and the Egyptian people are those sleeping while SCAF is the foreigner who is stealing the revolution. If so, how will the cow get out of the well? Will the people of Egypt wake up?

Here are the song's lyrics in Arabic and English.

http://revolutionaryarabicpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/07/cow.html

Here is a Youtube clip of Ahmed Fouad Negm preforming the original song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghGSW-K2_m8

Here is a Youtube clip of Azza Balbaa, a famous Egyptian singer, singing the song in MidanTahrir during the Revolution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMWSSsSnjfQ

All of us are Mina Daniel

Translation: "We are All Mina Daniel"

The street artist is writing "martyr" under the portrait of Mina Daniel. This street artist didn't paint the portrait of Mina Daniel, but he is one of the many anonymous street artists to continue to spread the message.

This stencil appeared during the 28 October demonstration.

Mina Daniel was an activist killed in the 9 October "Bloody Sunday" Maspero clashes.(http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/23860/Egypt/Politics-/Activists-mourn-death-of-Maspero-martyr-Mina-Danie.aspx)

Christians marched from Shubra to Maspero, the state-run television building in downtown, to protest against the failure of the government to investigate attacks on churches in Upper Egypt. The military attacked the peaceful protesters, killing 27. During the violence, there were many rumors that state-run TV was calling on Muslims to protect the military who were being attacked by Christian protesters. The state-run TV did report that "The injured in the Maspero confirm the possesion of Coptic protesters of live ammunition." In reality, while the state-run media blamed the violence on religious tensions between Muslims and Christians, eye-witness accounts prove that it was in fact the military who were attacking Egyptians.

A curfew [2am-7am] was issued the night of 9 October, the first such curfew since I have arrived in Egypt.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContentP/1/25077/Egypt/Human-Rights-Watch-Report-Egypt-Don%E2%80%99t-Cover-Up-Mil.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/25708/Egypt/Politics-/Reconstructing-Masperos-Bloody-Sunday-An-Ahram-Onl.aspx

While Mina Daniel was an activist, he was not widely known before his death. The martyrdom of individuals is not unique to Mina.

The death of Khalid Said was a major rallying-point during the Revolution. Khalid Said died as a result of police torture in June 2010 in Alexandria.

(http://www.arabist.net/blog/2010/6/14/the-murder-of-khaled-said.html)

Khalid Said's death represented the brutality of the police, just as Mina Daniel's death represents the brutality of 9 October.

The "We are All Khalid Said" Facebook page was instrumental in organizing and mobilizing individuals in the revolution-- and is still active to this day. The Facebook page's anonymous-turned public administrator is Wael Ghonim, the Google-executive who has since because an international ambassador for the Egyptian revolution. "We are All X [name of martyr]" is now a popular slogan in Egypt.

10/28

Demonstrations are a hot spot for street artists. There is usually little police presence and a strong energy.

A large demonstration took place yesterday, 28 October. Since I arrived in August there has only been two other demonstrations which I would describe as "large". 9 September-- the night that the Israeli embassy was burned-- and 30 September. These demonstrations take place in Midan Tahrir on Friday after the Friday prayer. When I say "large demonstration," I am referring to a demonstration that shuts down the entire Midan Tahrir-- Tahrir itself is a large traffic circle. While there are usually demonstrations every Friday-- some of which block of parts of the Midan and cause traffic disruptions, the "large" demonstrations are backed by political parties and movements from across the spectrum, usually with one specific, unifying demand.

Yesterday's demonstration was focused on demanding that the government ban former member of the National Democratic Party (NDP, Mubarak's party) from participating in the upcoming elections.

http://bikyamasr.com/46371/egypt-activists-call-for-%E2%80%9Cfriday-of-political-isolation%E2%80%9D-protest/

Translation: "Down with military rule" [yaskoot hokm elaskr]

Military rule refers to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces [SCAF] who took power after Mubark stepped down.

The slogan is a spoof off of one of the popular slogans of the Revolution" "Down with Hosny Mubark" [yaskoot yaskoot Hosny Mubark].

Yosri Fouda

UPDATE, 7 November 2011:

Yosri Fouda appeared on BBC HARDtalk on 1 November, here are links to the full interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsVQLuomayE (part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVb3WyvPZP4&feature=related (part 2)

Translation: "Yosri Fouda"

Yosri Fouda, a former BBC and Al Jazeera journalist, is a respected television host in Egypt. He announced on Friday 21 October that he would suspend his talk-show "Akher Kalam" until further notice due to "relentless censoring efforts." Fouda was suppose to host writer Alaa El-Aswany (Yacobian Building, Chicago) on the Thursday before to discuss Fouda's interview of two Egyptian army generals, but instead cancelled the episode. I have heard Alaa El-Aswany speak several times at the El Sawy Culture Center (in Arabic). Not only is he an outspoken critic of SCAF, but he also has a very dynamic personality.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/24747/Egypt/0/Renowned-TV-presenter-Fouda-halts-famous-show,-cit.aspx

Harassment of media is a problem in post-Mubarak Egypt. Since the Revolution numerous bloggers and journalists have been called before military courts.

USAID

AUC doesn't have graffiti. During the student strikes that took place this September, some students wrote on pieces of paper and tapped those pieces of paper to the wall. USAID stickers are, however very abundant on the AUC campus. The American government's version of graffiti?

They are found on tech-equipment (i.e. ID scanners, computers, projectors) and are most noticeable in the library (it has the highest concentration of tech-equipment), but found in classrooms as well.

According to its website, USAID funded 25% of the AUC new campus (where undergrad & graduate classes are vs. the downtown campus, where continuing education classes are).

In describing its education program, USAID makes the distinction between basic and higher education. This distinction is important because AUC caters to a different set of Egyptians than the public universities in Egypt, and certainly a different set of Egyptian than a rural primary school.

USAID has come under fire in Egypt recently. In June, USAID placed advertisements for open grants to civil society organizations in Egyptian newspapers. According to Egyptian law, unregistered (it's very difficult to become registered here) civil society organizations can't receive foreign funding. US Ambassador Anne Patterson recently presented SCAF [Supreme Council of Armed Forces] with of Egyptian civil society organizations that receive US funding.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/507011

A laugh?

Translation: "Do you think it's a laugh? It's a cut on my face."

This piece of street art appears downtown, on the wall of an old AUC building.

KFC-- too late

KFC is one of many symbols from the revolution. During the revolution, the Mubarak regime used the fact that protesters were allegedly eating KFC as proof that foreign powers were supporting them.
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/07/a_revolution_brought_to_you_by_k This KFC (across the street from AUC downtown campus and around the corner from Midan Tahrir) used to be boarded up. Those boards, of course, were covered in graffiti. When I passed by the KFC today, the boards were gone and workers were renovating the storefront. What happened to the boards? Unfortuently, I never got the chance to photograph them.
When I returned later at night, there were still no boards. Instead, there was a metal sliding- door. How long will it take for the door to be covered in street art?

There is another KFC located on Midan Tahrir. While KFC is popular, I can't imagaine that there will be two locations. This former KFC has a great location, I'm suprised it has been left to languish for so long.

Stop Licking

Translation: "Stop licking"

I saw this piece of street art while walking on Qasr Al-Aini street close to Midan Tahrir. I'm not sure when it was created or by whom.

When a dog wants a treat, he usually whines and "licks" his owner. If he's lucky his owner will oblige him and give him a small treat. The dog will then "lick" the treat from the ground.

Is the artist saying that the Egyptian people are "licking" SCAF, begging them for even the smallest of reforms? What will happen if the Egyptian people stop "licking" SCAF?

In action

In action...

and the finished product. Translation: "No to military trials for civilans-- Freedom for Ali El-Halaby"

Last night I was sitting at Borsa (a street cafe in downtown) and saw this piece of street art being put up. This was the first time I've seen steet art in action.

The artists worked very quickly (less than 5 minutes) and from what I could tell asked the owner of the cafe for permission. (The wall has other pieces of street art and has been painted white several times since I've been in Cairo). The artists used a stencil that they had already cut out and as two of them held the stencil up, the other spray-painted. (While much of the street art is done in paint, this piece was in fact done with spray paint).

It makes sense that the artists were working discreetly at night. Ali El-Halaby is a member of the April 6th movement who was arrested last week for graffiting ("vandalizing public property").

No military trials for civilians have been a major demand of the Egyptian protesters. Approximately 12,000 Egyptians have stood before military trials since the revolution.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/1/64/24624/Egypt/Politics-/-April-Movement-activist-to-stand-military-trial-t.aspx

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/24980/Egypt/Politics-/Rights-group-condemns-referral-of-activist-to-mili.aspx

NOTE: the artists were wearing plastic surgical gloves.

"My perception of An Ideal Revolution..."

This exhibit is featured at the entrance of the AUC library. Each piece of artwork was done on an identical 9’’x 18’’ piece of (possibly) cardboard. While it was probably a project parameter, said medium seems very restricting—especially if the objective of the project is to depict “My Perception of an Ideal Revolution.” Maybe it's just me, but I think the streets of Cairo are better suited for that.

A note about the library…

In order to enter the AUC library, you must swipe your AUC ID (with several security guards there to make sure it is valid). In order to enter the AUC campus, however, it is necessary to show an AUC ID. So what is the point of having to swipe your ID a second time?

A few weeks ago a friend suggested to me that the policy was in place to keep workers out of the library. (AUC employs a lot of staff— including many cleaning and gardening staff. These workers participated in a strike this September along with the students).

When I asked for a comment from the library staff, I was told that the library employed a swipe system "to keep outsiders from entering the library." When I asked for clarification regarding who exactly these "outsiders" were, I was told that outsiders can in fact enter the campus and they need to be kept out of the library.

(Disclaimer: visitors can visit the campus, but they must be cleared through campus security before entering)

al-Shaheed (Martyr)

This is one mural in a series titled The Martyr Murals. The series is the brainchild of artist Ganzeer (aka Mohamed Fahmy). In his words, "The goal [of the project] is to, on the one hand, honor the martyrs, and on the other hand provide passers-by with a reminder of Egypt's struggle for freedom, democracy, and equality."
Every mural in the series has the word "al Shaheed" (martyr), the person's name, age and occupation. This is Seif Allah Mustafa. He was 16 years old and he was a student.

There used to be a Martyr Mural near a favorite juice shop of mine in Midan Falaki, but unfortunately I was never able to see it because it was painted over in late April. (The mural itself was only painted in March so it was only up for about a month).


Ganzeer has his own blog
http://ganzeer.blogspot.com/2011/03/martyr-murals-project.html

Ganzeer also created a google map to map street art in Cairo. The map, of course, couldn't and doesn't include all of Cairo's street art . While I think the map is a great idea, there's so much street art in Cairo-- you can turn a corner and find something interesting-- that I'm not sure how effective the map is. Some of the tags do have pictures (although many don't) which is helpful if you are looking for a specific peace of art.
-I am going to tag all of my posts with the neighboorhood where the street art work from that post is.
-I will also provide a location (street/ landmark), in case any of you are in Cairo!
-I will also tag the name of the street artist (if known).
-If the street art is a stencil or part of a series, I will tag it as well.
-I will include the date of when the photos were taken, all photos that I post are my photographs.
http://ganzeer.com/cairostreetart/index.html


This mural is in downtown Cairo, on 26 July St. (a major street), in front of the Dar Al Qada' (the Supreme Court). This photo was taken on September 9th, 2011.

this is not graffiti

The name of this blog comes from an exhibition by the same name at the Townhouse Gallery. Located in downtown Cairo, the Townhouse Gallery is comprised of a library (with art books in several languages), several exhibition space and a theatre. The Gallery hosts artists in residence and has many programs for under-priviledged youth and refugees.

Here a great video about the Gallery: http://vimeo.com/21584869
As the video explains, the Gallery fosters discussion on political and social issues.

I saw the play Lessons in Revolting at the Gallery in August.
http://lessonsinrevolting.com/dates-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%ae-2/-- they're currently touring in Europe, check it out!

The play was produced by Egyptian actor-activists whose "purpose is not to document or reminisce, but to reflect [about the January 25 revolution] with an audience."


The exhibition "This is not graffiti" features nine artists who each graffiti-ed a wall of the Townhouse Gallery. Given the exhibition's title, should I be using the "graffiti-ed"? Many of the artwork on the street is actually painted and not spray-painted which is medium that I most associate with graffiti. Additionally I have always considered graffiti an inherently subversive (i.e. illegal) act.

Perhaps the title then is in reference to the fact that the artwork in the exhibition is not illegal and will not be crossed out or painted over because it is under the auspieces of the exhibition. In contrast, the artwork on the street is not part of an exhibition and as a result has no protection. While the artwork on the street will no doubt remain subversive, I can only hope that this blog will offer it some degree of protection. So is it graffiti? That's for you to decide.


Here pictures (taken on my iphone) from the exhibition.
The panda is ubiquitous is Cairo. Apparently before the January 25 revolution there was a TV commercial involving an angry panda(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4277ZqJEd7Q&feature=related). The subtitles are hard to see, but I think you'll be able to make the connection.

Any yes, there is a picture of a white wall.