Reading Revolution on the Walls: Cairo Graffiti as an Emerging Public Sphere

• Authors: Ieva Zakareviciute
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The revolutionary and post-revolutionary period in Egypt created emerging and vivid public spheres that became communication milieus for various strata of society. Therein, new ideas and concepts were confronting old and established perceptions. Hereby, a genre of political graffiti in Cairo was formed, and within a comparatively short lapse of time it became an integral part of the revolution itself. Shortly graffiti started to be seen with glorified and romanticised connotations and graffiti artists were perceived as resistance fighters: primarily against the regime, thereafter against security forces and eventually against the Muslim Brotherhood. Their works were seen as tributes to revolution and its illustration. Although approaching graffiti as the dominateds resistance against the dominator indeed explains a wide realm of this societal conduct, it nevertheless regards graffiti only as a pro or counter statement. Therefore quite often, significant side-meanings and social perceptions on various issues are omitted. This paper explores Cairo graffiti not only as revolutionary narrative, but also as a prevailing public sphere where debate takes place. Analysing the side-messages that are drawn on the walls, helps to address social attitudes and public opinions on a variety of revolutionary and non-revolutionary issues. It employs various social sciences approaches and looks how the Cairo graffiti scene follows patterns of the notion defined as the public sphere.

Keywords

EN

Cairo; Muslim Brotherhood

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Kultur Śródziemnomorskich i Orientalnych PAN
• Journal: Hemispheres. Studies on Cultures and Societies
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 109-127

Contributors

author

Ieva Zakareviciute

• Vytautas Magnus University