Ya LoooL Ya by ya looolya

Ya LoooL Ya

Ya LoooLYa CHATS WITH YOUNG EGYPTIAN ARTISTS

Ya LoooL Ya

Ya LoooLYa Written by: Mariam Elias Translation To Arabic: Ramez Farag Graphic Design: Eiriny Khalef Event Photo Credit: Nikki Columbus & Dalia Abd El Aziz. Special thanks for the insightful advice & support of: Amy Arif, Kareem Lotfy, Karim Roshdy, May Hany, May Hawas, Ramez Farag, Ramy Hanna, Sameh Khalil and Viola Osris. contact us: yalooolya.artbook@gmail.com ISBN 19012/2010. Copyright ÂŠ 2010 by the author, translator and the designer. Photo courtsy of the artists. All rights reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise, without permission of the copyright holder.

Ya LoooL Ya

CONTENTS: PREFACE The Ingredients of A Generation: An Overview

Chatrooms: Interviews

Featured Artists Aliaa Abo Ouf (Online) Amr Ali (Online) Ahmed El Azma (Online) Ahmed Fathy /Wensh (Online) Abdallah Sabry (Online) Ahmed Sabry Ahmed Nagy Ahmed Badry Aly Aya Tarek (Online) Asmaa El kolaly (Online) Dalia Abdel Aziz (Online) Dalia El Mahdy (Online) Eslam Zien Elabdeen Esraa El Feky (Online) Gehad Anwar Hind El kolaly (Online)

Islam Hassan Lamia Moghazy Mai Hamdy (Online) Magdi Mostafa Mohamed Alaa (Online) Mohamed Mansour Mohamed Zayan Mo Nabil Mohamed Keshk (Online) Nada Adel Norhan Mohamed (Online) Sara Hamdy (Online) Shereen Lotfey (Online) Walaa El Sayed (Online) Wessam Quresh (Online) & Others.......... 5

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PREFACE This book is not a novel. This is not a fictional story. This is not a biography. This is not a suddenly revealed memoir. This is not a self help book. This is not an art history book. This is not an anthropological research. This is not a political reference. This is not an illustrated retrospective. This is not a New York Time’s best selling book. This is not a socio-sarcastic book on Egypt. This is not an exhibition catalogue. This is not a comic story. This is not a film’s script. This is not a theatrical play. This is not an artist’s book. This is not an educational textbook. This is not a publication from teens to teens. This is not a manual. This is not an encyclopedic archive. This is not a travel guide. This is not a yellow pages directory. This is not an introduction of a certain topic for dummies. This is not a ‘how to be’ or ‘how to do’ series. This is not a periodcal. This is not an avant-garde statement of a new movement. This is not a manifesto with a naïve faith in a radical new beginning. 6

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However, this book is like a chat room, a discussion board or a roundtable in the form of a printed publication. It is a space for some young artists to share opinions, testimonials or comment on several issues such as: art education in Egypt, the effect of media and popular culture on their work, how they perceive their role in the contemporary society, the art institution as a financer and exhibitor, their connection with the local art history and the concept of a “generation” in general. For that several views might be conflicting, as answers can be driven by logic, emotions or personal experiences. At the end, it is an opportunity to see how different people see things and why. Most of featured artists were mainly selected according to their contribution in the latest exhibitions that occurred in the past couple of years to promote and encourage “ a new generation of Egyptian artists ”; Such as the fourth edition of The Pick that occured in june 2009 at the Townhouse Gallery and also the last two editions of the state’s Youth Salon which took place in March 2009 and May 2010, Consecutively. The book starts by looking at the idea of a “generation” within the context of arts and culture and examines whether any group of individuals/artists living at the same time form a “generation”. It wonders whether they would have similar ideas, concerns with a specific conceptual or aesthetical perspective. It also inspects the local socio-political and cultural context of the 1980’s and 1990’s to find out if a common collective memory would result in a similar or a certain visual language in the arts. By analyzing the work of each featured artist, the book aims to find out common places of interest, repeated themes and tendencies within this generation. Rather than juding the works by their techinical or conceptual quality, it investigates whether their are reasons behind the choosen medium or subject. 7

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The Ingrediants of A Generation An Overview

Ya LoooL Ya

The Ingrediants of A Generation An Overview

Some people do believe in the idea of “generation”. Others even take it further and spend time in an anthropological study to dissect different age groups and classify them upon their common social behaviors. Generally speaking, each society has a tendency to sort itself according to certain demographics, social classes ethnic groups, religious beliefs, generations or even into supports of different football teams. Actually, sometimes it is fun to categorize, group and assort people. It makes us more secure to belong to a certain category and help us to identify and position ourselves. At the end, whether “cultural generation” was a mere concept, an abstract term or a scientific fact, it is a tricky word that holds a lot of factual ideas within it. This word that you are taking for granted can easily spice up your talk or text giving it simultaneous meanings. Usually, if it is attributed to something or somebody, there is a subliminal promise for novelty, radicalism, uniqueness and a flowery new start. For example, there is a big difference between saying “Youth” or “The Youth Generation” (Geil Al Shabab), or between saying “youngsters” or “The Future Generations” (Agial Al Mustakbel) Even if the word is used for referring to earlier times, like “The Old Generation” (El Giel Al Adeem) or “The Generation of the Old Times” (Geil Beta3 Zaman), it directly raises nostalgic emotions with a deep feeling of sorrow for an unrepeated past. It can be used in an appellation as a synonym for the “greatest” or the “chosen one”, such as the case of Mohamed Abd Al Wahab or “Mousiqar Al Agyal” (The Musician of all Generations) and Tamer Hosny “The King of Generation”. 10

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Try also using it in your chats. It will directly illustrate your intellectualism, profound enlightenment and attentiveness to sociopolitical traits of each stratum, class and age group in your society. Note also, that if you feel any kind of generational gap, this is usually because you are either too progressed or too refined and authentic. Technological inventions like cell- phones, video games and engines played it well too, as they also come in generations to make you feel that your old gadget has become obsolete. Lastly, it is advisable that you start writing a socio-sarcastic book or a youthful film (Film Shababy) that speak about your generation, expressing”the problems of today’s youth” ( mashakel el shabab beto3 al youmen dol) and their suppressed desires. Reading through this, you should have started asking yourself the following questions: Do you belong to a generation? Did you speak about your generation? Do you exemplify your generation? Are you proud of your generation? Do you love your generation? These questions become even more flagrant, each time one encounters a text or a poster about an art exhibition for artists at the beginning of their career. Most of them assert the same: “to provide a glimpse into an emerging generation of young artists”,” to introduce the latest generation” or “to encourage a new generation of artists”. Although these statements might offer 11

Ya LoooL Ya an accurate branding for their shows, it indirectly makes the issue of generations even more perplexing. Especially, for the fact that up until now it seems that the anatomy of modern Egyptian art history has been chaptered around consecutive generations rather than schools, movements and isms. “Indeed, ‘generation’ became a central theme in the evaluative discourses of authenticity and therefore a key gauge by which assessments of Egyptian art as a national project were made”, explained Jessica Winegar in her book Creative Reckonings(1). Lately, both the state and the independent sector have been organizing shows that adopt the format of an all-inclusive exhibition that features artists from different generations using various mediums from traditional painting to new media. The highlight of these shows was why not ?, an exhibition that was held at The Palace of Arts in February 2010. Describing the exhibition as a ‘trans-generational project’, the issue was tackled in the words of The Egyptian Ministry of Culture that he wrote for the exhibition under the title of “Why Not?: Sustaining an Avant-Garde Status», stating the following: “Thanks to all creative talents emerging from its healthy and effervescent art movement. Generation after another, Egyptian visual artists, always contemporary in both the literal and conceptual senses, managed to conceptualize and create projects that were legible to local and to international audiences.” The Egyptian Ministry of Culture: Farouk Hosni

1-Jessica Winegar, Creative Reckonings: The Politics of Arts and Culture in Contemporary Egypt, (AUC press, 2006), P. 159

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On one side, this open-minded model of an embracing exhibition, does emphasize the complexity of the generational dissections. But it can also be a prove that the lack of a documentative archival platform (such as a museum), created these alternative form of shows which welcomes everybody under a broad curatorial theme. In fact, in most major shows of the country, the same debatable ideas would pump up concerning age hierarchy, paternalist gerontocracy, authenticity vs. westernization, youth’s freedom of expression vs. the maturity of their work and the means of cultivating Egyptian talents. It is no surprise that these debates were hyped in the last two editions of the Youth Salon that were organized by the Ministry of Culture. At the opening of the last twenty first edition of the Youth Salon, some protested against the contribution of one of the jury members accusing him with Zionist normalization. Also, in the twentieth edition of the salon, controversial debates were agitated in a panel discussion that was organized with the Jury. By selecting 100 works out of 1298 pieces, the jury was proposing a model of a selected exhibition that highlights individualistic originality, rather than a jammed platform that displays reproduced artworks or unfinished studies. Unfortunately, this corrective ideal created a huge stir even in the local mainstream newspaper. And as a reaction to the refusal, groups were created on Facebook such as : (“The crisis of the 20th Youth Salon” ‘Azmat Salon Al Shabab Al Esheren’, “The refused in the 20th Youth Salon” ‘ Al Marfdoun fi Salon Al Shabab Al Eshren”). Also with an aim to ‘introduce the latest generation of artists in Egypt’, The Townhouse Gallery hosted the fourth edition of The Pick in June 2009. Keeping a much lower profile and with a non-thematic curatorial approach, The pick 4 offered a group of young innovative artists from various educational backgrounds. 13

Ya LoooL Ya Since a lot has happened lately in the context of arts and culture, these shows with their pros and cons, proposed the yield of smart initiatives, some misjudgments but obviously a much active local art scene. In a way, it offered the chance to review whatever happened in the past decade and reassess change. But then how is a “Generation” formed in the context of arts and culture? Does any group of individuals/artists with the same age bracket form a “generation”? Should they have similar ideas, concerns with a specific conceptual and aesthetic perspective? To what extent would they share a collective memory that might result in a common visual language? How are they going to integrate or detach themselves from the current cultural system? Actually, these shows were the outgrowth of a group of youth all born in the 1980’s, a “generation” that received many titles such as: the Millennials, Generation Y, MTV Generation, I Generation, The satellite & The Internet Generation (Geil Al Dish Wa Al Internet) or even The Shamydan Generation(2). They were even named after several famous TV presenters like Mama Nagwa’s Generation or Mama Samia’s Generation(3). 2-The Shamydan is an Egyptian wafer that was very popular in the eighties and early nineties. It had the slogan of “The Shamydan as you love it, it loves you more and more”. Besides, being a local product with reasonable price, it had the most interactive marketing campaign, as it was famous for its gifts and giveaways that were given with the collection of coupons or several empty packaging. The Shamydan generation is coined to refer to a generation who grew up during that time and used this Egyptian wafer. It is usually used to describe them as futile and fragile like a wafer. It is a way to mock this generation and accuse it of having no aim or vision, unlike for example, the generation of the revolution or the generation of October’s victory. 3-Mama Nagwa and Mama Samia, were two famous T.V presenters who hosted two popular shows for children. Both Nagwa Ibrahim and Samia Sheraby were named Mama (mother) and had a famous puppet in their show like Boklz with Mama Nagwa and Koronba with Mama Samia in her show “Arosty” (My Doll). Actually, most popular figures of that time who presented shows for kids, were called with a cozy recognizable titles such as ‘Gedo Abdo’ ( Grandpa Abdo) referring to Abdel Moneim Madbouly, ’Amo Fouad’ (Uncle Fouad) referring to Fouad El-Mohandes or ‘Mama Suzan’ referring to the First Lady.

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Obviously, these people were usually named after their consuming behaviors, as they were the first users of several mind-blowing inventions and several sporadic transitions. While on the local level, they were torn between several conflicting ideological climates with a desire to be part of the global change and a fear from the preeminence of globalization. This might have been reflected in their artwork, choice of themes and aesthetic conceptions, yet any judgment on their norms of production would be still uncertain. But it is also undeniable that there are several common practices that have been already manifested. Several experiments show that there are some enthusiasts who want to break free of the yoke and lose their grips from nostalgic and nationalistic burdens. Also, diversity of mediums seemed to be a common manifested factor in most recent exhibitions that featured young Egyptian artists. Obviously young artists have different educational backgrounds and that in fact brought up diverse profiles of artists who were moving impeccably across mediums, forms and subjects. Self expression, exuberance and humor were the raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ĂŞtre of the artworks in the shows. Without holding tightly to fashionable concepts or forcing radicalism, the presented artists chose their stimulus from their personal experiences, particularized concerns, obsessive habits, contemplative beliefs or private amusements. Walking through any of these shows, one encounters an assorted platter of videos, drawings, graffiti, mixed media, digital painting, photography, installation and new media art. This miscellaneous multitude of forms is not only an indication of the varied interests of the generation but is also a sign of the experimental condition of the artists themselves, most of which have jumped between different styles in a very short time. 15

Ya LoooL Ya Norhan Ahmed, “Mazescapes”, Drawing, The Pick 4, 2009.

Unlike the fuss about painting,drawing was never declared dead(4). Yet still, very few young artists have chosen it as a medium or were able to experimentally take it to a different territory. Besides,drawing didn’t have a proper status in the Egyptian art arena. Usually, if exhibited it was considered substandard or better placed as a complementary to another work in a show. In fact, the success of international artists like Kara Walker, Dan Perjovschi and Daniel Zeller showed how the longing to break away from some stagnant old molds that dominated the Egyptian art scene for long time, made many lose appetite for traditional mediums and be attracted to anything digital regardless of its content. To draw your state of mind might not be easy and can lead to a clustered disarray. “I think a lot and I draw what I am thinking of. This ends up with closed mazes that take the form of a visual illusion,” said Norhan Ahmed, a graduate from Faculty of Art Education. It was not surprising that the result became a series of chaoticallyclustered buildings, as Ahmed finds drawing a way of expressingher psychological state. For some artists drawing comes with a new narrative and a personalized approach. 4-“From Today Painting is Dead” was a quote by the French painter Paul Delaroche, responding to the advent of photography that he believed will replace the representational function of painting. This later became a debate used by conceptual art and post conceptual art.

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It has other functions rather than a mere nice composition, a still life or a portrait. For others, this urge to draw comes out of a thirst for romanticism and illustrating one’s own imagination, rather than being burdened with a cause or an ideological concept. Because of the intimate and immediate nature of drawing, it is the initial way in creating an image and finding one’s own graphic line and personal voice. It is a pragmatic way of creating an artwork without the need for funds, curators or specific installation. As abstract as it can be, drawing is also representational, vividly illustrative and an easy way to show off your skills. It is no wonder then that sequential art is highly welcomed among the new generation as an art form and not just a comical product.

Abdallah Sabry, “Tell Me Darkness”, Mural, The Pick 4.

Ya LoooL Ya “Some people might see comic art as a commercial genre or an amusement for children or teenagers, but it is also a form of art that highly fits with the pace of our time,” explained Abdullah Sabry who graduated from Faculty of Art Education and works now as a photographer. “I personally believe that comic art can be twisted in various ways, my comic art work as an example, is also inspired by Surrealism and Dada,” he continued. Back in the 1980’s, pulp magazines and comics were every boy’s venue to worldly values, exploitations and norms. Several local and international prints used to be sold in libraries or street pavements such as Mickey, Samir, Maged, Superman, Tin-Tin, The Five Adventurers (Al Mo3’amoron Al Khames), The Thirteen Devils (Al Shyateen Al Taltasher), Flash , Cocktail 2000, Fares Al Andalous, Ma Wara Al Tabee’ya and the series of Ragol Al Mostaheel (Adham Sabry).“Comics for any boy were his fantasy world that visualized all his dreams about heroes and supernatural powers.Until today, my bedroom and bathroom are full of comic magazines,” commented Sabry. The adaptation produced in Hollywood of these storyboards and illustrations doubled the fascination about them. Two dimensional characters were transformed to three-dimensional characters with vivid action and sound. “It was extremely hard for any boy not to be impressed or influenced with this world, it is even more inspiring to the imagination than cinema, which spoon feds all the data in front of you, without you needing to think,” commented Sabry. “There are even schools in comics like the French Tin-Tin, the Japanese Manga and the American Virus, yet there are still some that consider it just a form of caricature or entertainment”, he continued. Also inspired by sequential art, Aya Tarek chose to paint her story on canvas, rather than the pulp paper. Despite her young age, Tarek 18

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Ya LoooL Ya has quite an impressive portfolio, a sharp vision for her work and has limitless dreams for it. While studying for her BA in Fine Arts at AlexandriaUniversity, she is also working as a graphic designer, typographer, illustrator and street artist. Tarek’s work is not only neat,precise and vivid but it is also daring and blunt. She aims to break taboos that prevent the discussion about religion, gender and politics. As a resident of her grandfather’s art studio who was an illustrator for Egyptian film posters, Tareq’s sequential strip “Am Hassan” was inspired with his place and craft. In her comic noir, Tarek used an extract from an imaginary storyline of a graphic novel to highlight iconic taboos in the Egyptian underground culture. In four panels, she created a raw world of stereotype, deception, dirty language and the local “Stella” beer. Now, with the interplay of genres and forms of art, comics are no more this vigor sequential strip found in kiosks and street pavements or a caricature drawing in a local newspaper,but an artwork that can exist in galleries,literature books and feature film. On one hand, several artists who choose comic art as an inspiration would be still trapped in a juvenile artistic style or create pieces that are flat illustrations without conceptual depth.

Aya Tarek,“The Truth About Superman”, Mural,Shopping Malls: An Exhibition,ACAF.

Ya LoooL Ya George Azmy,” Folla”, Digital Illustration part of “Dinner For One” comics made for Samandal a lebanese comics magazine. (http://www. samandal.org)

Yet, artists who understood the intensity of this medium were able to have a stronger impact. Especially that Egyptians are fond of storytelling, exaggerating and self-criticsm. A witty observer of people’s behavior, George Azmy was able to create art pieces that can find its place in exhibition halls and be accessible to audiences outside the art world at the same time. Whether through a solo exhibition for cairo drawn with pen & paper (Planet Cairo), pulp comic books,digital illustrations or his cynical stand up performances, Amzy’s work simply penetrates to reveal common behaviors that have been always taken for granted. Unfortunately, still there isn’t much space of freedom for this genre to evolve. An exemplar of that is Magdy El Shafee’s political satire Metro. The graphic novel which holds direct sarcasm to the government was confiscated from all stores, its publisher was arrested and both the author and the publisher were accused of offending public morality(5). 5-Ahmed Nage, Trans. Humphrey Davis, “Metro-Cairo in Black And White”, BIDOUN, Fall 08.

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In a consumer society like Egypt, kitsch can easily become the most predominate aspect of taste. Actually, Egypt is a country known for its crafts and artifacts that are the result of the tourist industry, monuments parody, historical and cultural relics, and a prevalent taste for ornamentation, cheap synthetic objects and Made in China imports. Wensh mixes pop, kitsch, familiar and found objects producing mishmash banal picturesque images which he paints onto various facades in Alexandria. “I choose elements that are stored in my memory from previous experiences and incidents,” commented Wensh. “What I care about in my work is its specificity to the place and district of its exhibit. I take inspiration from the traits and daily routine of the people living there,” he continued. It was then great to see how Wensh created two different dialogues between him and the audience. Inside the gallery space he displayed different incongruent items. Yet, their banality was quite provocative to proper art gallery goers and stiff viewers. He then filled the walls, the trees and the streets outside the gallery with various Aya Tarek, Am Hassan,sizes of enormous photos of babies. Interestingly, images of cute foreign babies are very common artsy and decorative icon in the Comic-noir, Pick 4. underground kitsch world of Egypt, as they abound in gift shops, as valentine presents, on mugs, greeting cards and T-shirts.

Wensh, Untitled, Graffiti on walls inside the Townhouse gallery space. Opposite Page: Wensh, Untitled, Street Graffiti, Alexandria.

Ya LoooL Ya Even with his playful interventions, Wensh has a specific artistic persona, as he manages each time to transform public urban spaces into a visual bewilderment. Refusing to conform to the rules of the art bureaucracy, Wensh and his friend Amr Ali took, street art as a venue to tackle social and everyday customs, pop icons or nonsense to trigger reactions from street passengers and droopy apathetic public. Anonymously they fool around and mess with an authoritative stagnate culture. “I believe that a street artist is just an activist and it’s not necessary that he makes himself recognizable. In some cases if the work is iconic he automatically becomes a well known figure such as Banksy or Blek le Rat,” said Wensh. What’s really significant about Ali and Wensh’s initiative is that they did not stop after a couple of times or treated it as just a fleeting idea for passing time, rather they developed their experimentations into a regular act of art production. Without waiting for funds, a curator or an empty hall, the two artists did several satirical street interventions in hidden or exposed locations. A couple of years ago, there were also some gestures of street art by Cairene artists, yet they were erased by state’s authorities. What is really paradoxical is how the government had painted over the graffiti of those Cairene artists, but would initiate a huge mural in Giza or even offer a graffiti workshop in Mahmoud Moukhtar museum. Ironically, the outcome of the workshop was painted on canvas and hanged temporarily on the fence of the museum. Though graffiti was a common practice in the local streets of Cairo, it was mainly used to advertise a certain product or service, declare a certain possession of a land, promote religion or express affection. Yet, graffiti as a rebellious form of art has only lately started to appear in Egypt and by artists of approximately the same age. This might be the influence of some famed international street 24

Ya LoooL Ya Wensh, Untitled, Street Graffiti outside the Townhouse gallery space.

artists. Yet, perhaps it is the effect of initiatives like the political movement kefaya (Enough) that helped in stirring up change, pushing Egyptians to become bolder and gain more courage to demonstrate, strike, protest or even do graffiti in the streets(6). Obviously, many of the upcoming Egyptian artists are more concerned with public awareness and wish not to be exclusive or isolated in exhibition halls. 6- Manar El Shorbagy, “Understanding kefaya: The New Politics in Egypt”, The Free Library, Jan 07, <http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Understanding+Kefaya:+the+new+politics+in+Eg ypt-a0162883567’

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Wensh,Untitled,Street Graffiti,Alexandria. 26

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Ya LoooL Ya Collaborative work between Amr Ali, Wensh and Aya Tarek, Sheikh Sharwy, Graffiti, Alexandria.

Aside from their public art, Ali and Wensh play with various other mediums creating satirical art pieces on paper, wood, canvas or murals. In his first solo exhibition at Mashrabia Gallery, Ali’s show was a colorful flair of mixed media and paint on canvas. His nine-squared piece of mixed media that he presented in the 20th Youth Salon was one of the most talked about art works. Each one comprises a portrait of one of his friends, himself or the popular YouTube love star “ArAr & Sandoud”. Interestingly, he used the background to reflect the persona of the presented character, by having a psychiatrist prescription, a packaging paper for a bakery, fashion magazines or the “Made in China” tag. There is something of an anomaly about Ali’s work that makes it attractively shocking for the viewer, probably because of how he challenges to “break the stillness” of the 2D Image and finds his subjects form pop culture. Impulsively, Ali’s work looks like the out come of someone having fun in his spare-time who then decided to turn his amusement into an artwork. That’s why a lot of people can easily relate to it. 28

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Amr Ali, Untitled, Digital Collage.

Ya LoooL Ya Amr Ali, Untitled, Mixed Media.

“Who said Cairo is hideous or chaos is spiteful,” asks Dalia Abd Aziz. “Why everyone is suddenly talking about Cairo’s charm in the past. It’s all imaginary or may be they are nostalgic for a dream, as Cairo that we have experienced has always been the same,” she continued. Rather than having a snooty observation or looking at the city from a superior anthropological lens, Al Aziz conforms with the haphazardness and values it. So instead of manipulating and forcing order in slum areas, Al Aziz imitates the random design and coloring of the buildings and confuses hers with the original. She then affirms that randomness and arbitrary urban design have left space for individuality and a particular realistic aesthetics. Decisive playfulness and spontaneity have always marked Al Aziz’s artwork. 30

Ya LoooL Ya Dalia Abd Al Aziz, Video Art for the dance performance “Skin Quartet”, 2B Continued Dance Festival,2009.

At the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a B.A in Visual Art, Al Aziz built a maze in the courtyard of the campus. She then created a teasing, fun and original way for exhibiting her artwork, rather than displaying it in a proper white cube gallery. Generally speaking, digital art and computer-generated artworks are major preferences for visual creators of this generation, especially with the availability of computer software and programmed tools. In that, Walter Benjamin’s idea about how mechanical reproduction implicates the loss of aura would be out of discussion for those artists (7). Yet still, there is a lot of confusion about this issue and usually the aesthetics of digital arts are critically dealt with. Especially that the techniques of digital art are extensively used by the mainstream media such as in advertisements and commercial graphics. On one side, some local critics, museum curators or Egyptian art collectors, are still stubborn with accepting it as an ‘ original’ art piece, several might treat a digital art piece as a cool flaky idea or a 7-Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, Marxism And Art, ed. Maynard Solomon (Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1974) P.550.

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Ya LoooL Ya Islam Hassan, “ I Am Here”, Gum print/ (one from three parts each of 100*70),21st Youth Salon, 2010. Opposite page: Islam Hassan , “I Love You”, digital Painting.

good design, others would have a debate about its originality and many would exaggerate in their admiration without any analytical judgment, accepting works that lack any artistic value. A graduate from the graphics section at the Fine Arts College, Islam Hassan would skillfully use traditional mediums, old printmaking techniques or digital mediums to create graphic art pieces that are iconic and vividly illustrative. It was no surprise then, that his piece “ I Am Here” won the Egyptian 21st Youth Salon’s Printmaking prize in May 2010. Because of his exceptional talent, Hassan›s work is neat, precisely detailed and creatively sensual. Whether through choosing his surrounded friends or pop icons, Hassan was able to experiment in various mediums creating expressive portraits of contemporary people. Deciding to quit his job in a mutlinational advertising company to focous on art and social research projects, Hassan has several dreams for the future as he wishes to create engaging projects that would be influenced from his personal experiences. 33

Ya LoooL Ya Touching upon feminist issues has always been a fraught area that accompanies a baggage of taboos, especially when tackling the issue of the body. Although the body as a theme has been a widely discussed issue, Dalia El Mahdy chose to explore notions related to gender perception connecting it with an everyday conflict. Vocal and physical harassment were her concern, using fashion as a close passion to women to express her ideas. “In my work, I like to mix all kinds of art and design with daily social problems. The issue of harassment, for example, is a basic and imperative topic that is becoming really complex,” said El Mahdy. “This uncivilized act makes me wonder about the reasons behind it, while our parents had much more freedom,” she continued explaining the reasons behind choosing costume and fashion as medium of expression. In the ‘Fashion and Identity’ workshop at Goethe Institute, El Mahdy designed a costume with fake eyes and leather for the final fashion show. For her piece in The Pick 4, the barcode was turned to a dress and an installation to show how the female body has turned to a commodity.

Dalia Al Mahdy, A “Product”, Fashion Installation, The Pick 4.

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The case of El Mahdy evokes the question of whether women shall speak about women’s issues and reintroduces the idea of whether feminist art is still prevalent. On one hand, Aya Tarek chose to expose the idea of the differences between genders in her street art, making provocative pieces to challenge fixed mindsets. Yet, Wessam Quresh believed that classifications of issues in art might lead to flat stereotyping. Asmaa and Hind El Koley, on the other hand, believed it is imperative, yet still a misleading area that should be tackled with caution. “These ideas are always very welcomed, especially from Arab women who are expected to show oppression and inequality,” said Hind El Kolaly.“ If we are going to discuss veil, we want to say that we like it and we conform with it, without being categorized into the clichéd views that are always associated with the status of women in the Arab world,” continued Asmaa El Kolaly.

Aya Tarek, Self- portrait, Digital Illustration.

Ya LoooL Ya Magdi Mostafa, “Sound Cells:Fridays”, Sound Instalation, 21st Youth Salon. Photo by Magdi Mostafa.

Crowded, chaotic and loud, Cairo became similar to an open lab or a huge site-specific sound installation. In a single moment, one could pass through multiple audio experiences of an improvised jam of noises that turns the city into an aural icon itself. Inspired by his surrounding environment and triggered by the effect of globalization on it, Magdi Mostafa’s research in sound and specifically in its interconnected relation with space is intense, as he interprets it into a live performance or an installation. This was clearly manifested in his sound installation ‘Sound Cells: Fridays’ that was displayed at the 21st Youth Salon in a hall inside the Palace of Arts. Stimulated by the everyday reality, Mostafa brought empty washing machines into the exhibit place and created a reproduction of a repeated auditory scene in Egyptian slum areas with samples from a Friday religious sermon. As the preacher described women as empty vessels, the sound of the domestic machines juxtaposed with the sermon, wasn’t only a reminder of repetitive aural mélange, but a teasing piece on the society’s complex gender’s perception. Also at the 20th edition Youth Salon, his interactive sound installation, ‘Sound Cells: An Electro-Magnetic Orchestra’, won the Jury’s honorary prize. 36

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One of the best achievements of the latest independent workshops is introducing Egyptian art students to new technologies and equipments that are not accessible to them in their curriculum. Sara Hamdy and Walaa El Sayed are great examples of this, where they both developed an interest in sound art. At The Pick 4, Hamdy’s piece was an exploration in sound, not as a mere mechanical phenomenon of wave transmission, but as a sensory and sensible experience.In her piece, she used the human voice to experiment with the act of listening to a subliminal mental or emotional state. In the same show, El Sayed created an interactive sound installation and presented it through the traditional medium of a rotary dial phone to express her longing to connect with the past. In her piece, one can hear or talk with her Nubian grandfather, yet the communication panel seems to have some hinders because of the difference of language and dialect, volume of voice, or even conceptual matters that El Sayed purposely installed. While El Sayed uses technology to connect to her roots, Hamdy wanted to find a human depth in advanced technology. Without being trapped in sophisticated technicality, both artists found sensible personalized alternatives in these new mediums.

Walaa El Sayed, “Discontinuance”, Sound Interactive, The Pick 4.

Ya LoooL Ya Alia Abou Ouf, Untitled, Mixed Media, The Pick 4.

All through the past decade, there has always been a tendency to veer toward certain representational themes to an extent that turns them to clichés or thematic molds. Taboos were usually kept as is and several issues remained untouched, surely with several exceptions. In her mixed media collage, Alia Abo Ouf brought an innovative and imperative topic to the table. Since money is a major global problem that is the center of our daily routine, Abo Ouf thought of dissecting the Egyptian pound to discover places of tension and value.

In her research, Abo Ouf found out how the iconography of the Egyptian banknote contains subliminal messages of power, autocracy, ancient history and religion and by incising and combing these she aimed to discover other areas of its usage and possibilities for new visions. “I wanted to choose a subject that faces me daily and I was always confused about how money was always there to create problems or even make situations easier,” said Abo Ouf. “That is why, I started to look at it with a different perspective and dealt with it in an emotional and careless way,” she continued. In an experimental manner, May Hamdy’s work is varied as she likes to experiment and hates to be stuck in a specific form and concept. Sometimes, it can be an exploration of rituals and beliefs that are rooted in our multilayered culture or a capture of a particular place and moment in our day to day life. She is concerned with paradigms of thought and habitual patterns that are knotted in our society. 38

Ya LoooL Ya Mai Hamdy, “A Room In One Of The Hospitals”, Photography.

In the 20th Youth Salon, Hamdy created an installation with aged paper and wire as a refutation of the blockages of freedom on thought and availability of knowledge. “My interest in book art came after a workshop with Shady El Noshkaty because of my interest in literature,” explained Hamdy. “I generally hate obstacles or hinders and in our country there is like a safety belt on everything especially on people’s opinion and thought,” she continued. In the ‘Fashion and Identity’ festival held at the Goethe institute, Hamdy designed a costume that is inspired from the Mahgoub (fortune teller) that is common in Egyptian Moulids. “It provoked me because it acts as a medium between God and people, like so many fetishized things in our culture that are thought to have supernatural powers,” explained Hamdy. In The Pick 4, for example, she presented a photomontage of a room in a hospital. The vividness of the static image created a strong narrative touching on specific personal experiences and provoking several conflicting emotions. Introspectively, both Abo Ouf and Hamdy were able to genuinely put forward their ideas and tackle issues of everyday reality. 39

Ya LoooL Ya Some might consider it a flamboyant trend, but it is quite a justified one, as there are several reasons for this constant use of video as a medium within the Egyptian art context. Moving images and short clips are by now the most popular form of communication. Locally, music videos came to prominence between 1980’s and 1990’s as an independent genre aired separately. Then luckily there were T.V programs that aired assortments of international video clips such as: Al Alam Yoghany (The World Sings ), Panorama Ferenseya (French Panorama) and Ekhtarna Lak (We Have Chosen For You). As channels like MTV, Dream TV and Melody TV went on air, the addiction and fascination with moving images became at its peak. Not only on the individual level, but currently most cafes, restaurants, clubs and even dental clinics have a 24/7 screening of video clips. Motion pictures, cartoons, videogames and advertisements have also played a palpable role in making us accustomed to any form of pictorial culture and welcome it as art. In fact, it is really tempting not to choose video as a medium for expression, yet experimenting with it in the beginning can lead to shoddy places, such as drifting towards rowdy and gaudy pictorial language to shock the viewer or following certain clichés that is regularly consumed by mainstream media. However, the most significant breakthrough was because of the technological advancement in handheld video cameras, computer editing programs and storage media and their availability in affordable, easy to use and commercially available versions. Note also that some pioneer artists who have experimented with Video and digital media in 1990’s, later started to give lectures and organize workshops, teaching the medium in theory and practice. Recently, independent institutions and even state-run spaces, has started offering training in digital/media arts by organizing several workshops. 40

Ya LoooL Ya Assma & Hind El kolaly, “The Princess”, video still, The Pick 4.

Asmaa and Hind El Kolaly were among the first graduates of these workshops that were held at the Faculty of Art Education of Helwan University. Their imagery is exacting, blunt and sometimes aching, allowing for multiple interpretations. Tackling on prevailing issues, they toured around locally and internationally as they work individually or as a duet, while cultural imperialism, collective identity and societal collective perspectives are among their concerns. Previously, Asmaa El Kolaly created a video art called In The Fridge where she split the screen into two iconic images. One of which was for a person stuffing different types of food inside his nose, while in the other the Star of David was being sewed on an Islamic prayer’s hat. Though their work might be highly controversial and charged with political and religious connotations, they refused to categorize their work as geo-politically or ethnically thematic. “The problem is that political art can easily be a commercial genre or a way to market oneself. Besides, fake anthological representations are always attractive, especially to the West,”they continued, explaining that their work is more about personal apprehensions that affect the society at large. 41

Ya LoooL Ya In 100Live Electronic Music Festival, Hend El Kolaly presented live video projections, where she used a video camera to intervene in the inner workings of the television, displaying the movement of electron beams and analog signals that are inside the screen. Further along came their video The Princess, which was presented at The Pick 4, where they explored the concept of sacrifice by showing the slaughtering of a cow juxtaposed with the projection of a text from a classic Arabic fiction. Like both El Kolaly sisters, Shereen Lotfy has also alluded to literature in her video work ‘A Letter to a Lover’ as she repetitively reads from the classic novel Robinson Crusoe “And immediately I started to load the guns and rifles with gunpowder and Friday helped in that”. The repeated narration was a substitute for any sound or music, adding vibrancy and daze to the image. Equally savage, the sole protagonist is an adolescent chubby boy who wickedly takes a black paint and sprays it over cars, billboards, telephone cabinets and placards. Wittily, the boy’s playful act looked heroic and gallant. As he anxiously runs so as not to be caught or seen, he was also being followed by Lotfy’s camera which has recorded all his acts. Provoked by the destructive acts of some who would ruin, spay and mess up with public property, ‘A Letter to a Lover’ became a recording of a performative act or an illustration of a social behavior. It might even be an exemplar of the voyeuristic gaze of the camera or an inquiry about the authoritative surveillance in the Egyptian streets. Though it was one of Lotfy’s first experimentations, she has competently created an aspiring art piece. “As soon as I was introduced to video art, it became my favorite. As it has the ability to influence the viewer through various ways by what he sees, hears and experiences,” explained Lotfy. 42

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Shereen Lotfy, “Letter To A Lover”, video stills.

Ya LoooL Ya Also in a performative manner, Mohamed Keshk, created his shocking video art piece “Intro”. Bluntly, he zoomed in on an open heart operation and put it adjacent to a recording of a performance by him in a carpentry workshop. “I am actually curious to know the inside of things and the mechanism of the unseen bodies. Even if it is agonizing, it is the reality at the end,”explained keshk. Beside the vulgarity of his picture, Keshk chooses to perform himself in order to live the state or condition of the film and turn it into a true experience. Similarly, Tabya by Esraa El Fekky is composed of two circular split screens for two images, zoomed inside a kitchen’s mixer. Although the image with the sound was sharp and aching at the beginning, it soon turned into a colorful palette of torn out dolls and juice. El Fekky then made a provocative transition between image and meaning to state a political message about power and control. Mohamed Keshk, “Intro”, Video Still, The Pick 4.

Esraa El Fekky, “Tabya”, video still, The Pick 4.

Ya LoooL Ya Mohamed Alaa, “Under-siege”, video still, The Pick 4.

Mohamed Alaa is the sole protagonist of his own Under-siege, a black-and-white video sequence of images reflecting his mental state that is also his studio. With an educational background that is patched from the free section at the Fine Arts College, photography workshops and directing at the High Cinema Institute, Alaa’s work interweaves between all of these. In Under-siege, Alaa preferred to create an artwork which resonates his state of mind using a strong and a bizarre mise-en scene. He thus became the performer and the image of the video that is rendered with an intersected resonated sound and a black and white replicated footage to create an inner self-portrait. Like the early experimentations in film, Under-siege has a low-key black and white visual style and a repetitive pattern of pictures where Alaa is both the performer and the image. 45

Ya LoooL Ya Wessam Quresh, “Graph”, video stills,The Pick 4.

Inspired with the cinematic frame, Wessam Quresh’s Graph is staged inside the bathroom. Taking the line of a story but without a proper plot, the two characters of the story are trapped in loneliness as they isolate themselves inside a private space of their own. “I usually work on a general topic that can be specific and private at the same time,”she said. “For example, in my video I am talking about alienation and deprivation in the relationship between two couples, but at the same time, I spend a lot of time in the bathroom and all my ideas come there,” she continued. With a single location that is inspired from a daily activity, Quresh came close to a realistic feature about people’s peculiar acts that become habitual.”I am used to watching cinema and television and dissecting them in a compositional way. This has changed my perspective on things and made me see how feature film, documentary and video art can intersect,” she explained. 46

Ya LoooL Ya Ahmed Al Azma, “Pov-TV”, video still.

Trained by established artists and filmmakers, Al Azma knows well how to keep track with the pictorial aesthetics and experiment with medium. At The Pick 4, Al Azma presented ‘A Night’, a video work that runs like a visual diary or a surreal personal confrontation within a metropolis. With a precise eye in editing and composing, Al Azma created a melancholic, hysterical train of mental imagery and kept the sound muted. “I shot the video over the span of two days and after editing it I found the images visually powerful that I felt the accompanying sound should be very minimal or non-existent at all,”said Al Azma, explaining that it is also a gesture for the viewer to listen to a sound of his own. At the “Graduating Art Students Exhibition”, held at the Sharjah Art Gallery of the American University in Cairo, Ahmed Al Azma‘s video work “Pov-tv” stood out amongst the incompetent work of most of the students. Projected on two split screens of a 90 degree angle, the left screen had a portrait for a girl aimlessly watching the television. On the other side, the television screen transmitted nothing, but was juxtaposed with several projections in the background from the local mass media. 47

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Ahmed Al Azma, A Night, video still, Pick 4.

Ya LoooL Ya Lamia Moghazy, Collage of painted portraits on vinyl, 20 thYouth Salon. photo by lamia Moghazy.

Generally speaking, mainstream and mass media had been a repeated theme among several artists, as they playfully reproduce, critic or analyze what they frequently consume. And since media has autocratically ruled the past era,breaking taboos of a hegemonic culture needed wit and guts. In the 20th edition of the Youth Salon, Lamia Moghazy did a huge collage of a popular TV presenters with a background of puppets and smiling faces. Wittily, Moghazy was able to critic the most popular icons of the age who became the owners of the communication and information platforms and the official speakers of an oppressed public. As they were silently portrayed in Moghazy’s screen, the credibility and charisma of these idols, became suspected. The mania about popular culture and mass media reached its peak in Ahmed Sabry’s artwork. Whether through using rotoscoping technique, painting or digital manipulation, Sabry knew well how to deconstruct taboos of sex, politics, power and iconophilia. Using humor, he reproduces moving or still images, to reveal areas of banality or cliché. In an early series of work, Sabry created several self-portrays imposed in a still from a famous clip, advertisement or a TV series. 49

Ya LoooL Ya Ahmed Sabry, Oil on canves, Untitled.

Then in «Al Awama», Sabry chose a scene from Youssef Chahin› s « Al Akhtyar» (The Choice), to create a provocative video for the heroine by showing her with a niqab then naked at once. Also in his solo show « Television El Brince» , he repainted stills from sex shows and sites, causing a huge stirr that was featured in several local newsparpers.

(L.S.A), Local Street Artists, ( Intiative by Aya Tarek & Ahmed Rageb), “ Al Bied Bedak”, Street Grafitti, Alexandria.This joint graffiti humoursly critics a famous local T.V show entitled «Al Biet Betak» ( The House is Your Home).

Ya LoooL Ya Mohamed Mansour, Untitled, series of photographs,Shopping Malls: An Exhibition.

For that, it was no suprise to find the idea of speactacle and consumerism, a notable concern amoung few artists of this generation. This idea was clear in some of the works of the 20th Youth Salon. Such as, in the performative video instalation by Mohamed Hallawy and Ahmed Nagy «Taia», in which they had two split screens of Hallawy eating different types of food with an illustrated video about the control mechanism of traffic lights and also in Ahmed Badry Aly›s «Made in China» installation that was made of stacked cardboard boxes. However, it was in Shopping Malls: An Exhibition that the issue was delt with more dept and focous. The exhibition which took place at ACAF ( Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum), featured five young artists including Mohamed Nabil, the curator of the show. Mohamed Mansour, for example, presented a series of photographs for the mall during its closure to examine the space in its dysfunctional state. Also skillfully, Aya Tarek painted the mural «The Truth About Superman» to sarcaticaly show the exaggerated appeal of the international brandnames. Thats beside, Ahmed Nagy›s live performace/presentation and videos by Omar Mostafa and Mohamed Nabil. 51

Ya LoooL Ya Mohamed Nabil, “Interview With Three Artists”, video & text, 20THYouth Salon.

In fact, Shopping Malls: An Exibition was not only a good example of a show that aims to bring forward new engaging ideas, but also it was successful in preseanting young artists without falling in the trap of a non-thematic or genearlised exhibition that features artworks under tags such as « new/latest generation» ,«emergying egyptian artists» or without a distinct curatorial direction. Amoungst the crowd of expirementations in ideas and mediums, very few artists were able to analytically identify their positions, critique the institution or create a self-assessing art piece. In his insightfull piece,«Interview With Three Artists», Mohamed Nabil displayed three texts of typical frequently stated art statements by Palestenian, Lebanese and Egyptian artists. He then placed the texts beside a video of running stills from imagernary interview session (all performed by Nabil himself), showing the stereotypical representation of the artistic image and production process. Mohamed Mansour›s fascination with the camera as a medium, made him in a continous quest for the role of the photographer as a curious picker and a public intervenor. For Example in «The Place is Mine» that was shown at the 21st Youth Salon, Mansour imagined 52

Ya LoooL Ya Mohamed Mansour, “The Place is Mine”, Photography Series, 21st Youth Salon.

Mohamed Zayan, “Jargon”, Three channels-video Instalation, why Not?

Ya LoooL Ya an exaggerated state of a dead photographer being captured by another. Also in another series entitled « It Could Be A Family Album», Mansour makes an inquiry about the habitual act of taking photos infront of a wellknown location or a monement. He then intrigues the viewer to see how everyday sites can be more appealing and a much worthy subject. Because of their playful manners , younger artists presented in the the exhibition Why not?, showed a much daring refutable stance towards the institution. Wensh, for example, decided to shift roles with the institution by sticking huge post stamps on the facade of The Palace of Arts, an act that subtly states a lot about beaurcraury and executive power of a state›s organization. Also In a three-channeled video instalation entitled «Jargon», Mohamed Zayan created a sarcastic audio video synphony about the banal complexity of the dialectic language used in art texts, such as application forms and press releases for art shows. The two opposite screens of Zayan listening to himself reading the text in the other, was then interupted by the load sound from the third screen that featured him dancing on a noisy shabbi music. An elqount syncronizer, Zayan knows how to jam sound, performance and video in a well re dered art piece that invotavely tackles salient ideas. In «80 Million» , both Zayan and Eslam Zein Elabedeen created an audio-visual illusion for a sound of loud beats filling the room, while the two perfomers are druming on nothing.The schocking piece was like a short spoof of a futile nation that only creats roaring noises in vain.Besides being a Winner of the grand prize of the 20th Youth Salon, the video was chosen by the jury members to participate in major regional shows such as Daret El Fenun in Jordan,Homework 5 at Ashakal Alwan Association in Lebanon, and the Bidoun Video Program at Art Fair Dubai. Still, not all institutions are open to critique,change or deviance within its system. Especially, if it is an old establishment with stubborn axioms and means of power that has shaped the Egyptian arts and cultural scene for more than a century. 54

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Gehad Anwar, “Energy”,Oil On Canves, Graduation project & also exhibted in the graduting student›s show at Prince Taz Palace,2010

Ya LoooL Ya Founded by Prince Youssef Kamal in 1908, Fine Art College became the official venue of teaching arts in Egypt and the first in the Arab Middle East. This in return helped in establishing an art market of societal and foreign collectors. However since quite a long time, the college’s graduates had been rarely engaged in the local art scene,nor had they had a flagrant presence in the art market and quite few would continue their career as artists. In a way or another, the graduation projects have been trapped in the same aesthetics and subjects all throughout the past successive graduating classes. Besides that oil painting has been always a given, most students would choose subjects that reveal their drawing and painting skills. The jury, on the other hand, usually critique the projects according to academic measurements such as depth, shading and body proportions. For that, very few would have the guts to experiment and usually they allude to clichéd topics such as poverty, misery, freedom, the handicapped or the duality of mankind. After 35 working days, the graduation projects of class 2010 were displayed inside the school’s atelier and later in an exhibition at the Amir Taz’s Palace. Actually, some showed atypical productions and dared to experiment in form, artistic approach and theme. For example, unconcerned with the surrounded conservatism and fuss about figurative drawing, Nada Adel choose to draw a nude in one of her paintings in a project about female adolescence. Also, on three canvases and in the midst of the traditional figuration of the rest of the projects , Gehad Anwar presented an innovative, colorfully inspiring piece entitled “Energy”. Skillfully, she painted different male and female couples with abstracted figures inside modern chaotic rooms, creating a bold and visceral image. In fact, there are quite few institutions in Egypt that provide art education, such as Helwan University’s Applied Arts College and The Faculty of Art Education, besides other public art schools at University of Alexandria, Luxor and Minya. That’s in addition to the private education of The American University in Cairo and the 56

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most recent computer-based curriculum of applied arts at German University In Cairo. Yet still, there is a question on how these institutions prepare their students to be practicing artists with international profiles, rather than professionals in a corporate company or in any other practical career field. Surely, since its launch in Egypt, the Internet became the main source of knowledge and especially for this generation who were the first to use it at a young age. Besides, making everything accessible, the Internet became an alternative to the exhibition space. And because it was a platform that lacks any favoritism or censorship, artists’ online experimentations became more innovative, playful , daring and forward. Today, everyone has a better chance in displaying his work without restrictions and web spaces like Myspace, You Tube channels, Vimeo, blogs, fan paes and even Facebook groups offer quite a satisfying alternative for installing work, creating network and receiving critical feedback. Other web portals offer a wide range of services like uploading a personal portfolio (ex: re-title. com, art index, my space, artslant, dripbook.com, deviant art), selling artworks (ex: e-bay, artnet.com) or even possessing a personal website that can be freely designed to display art projects, bios or any requested information. A good examples of that are Amro Thabit’s “Almagala-almosawara” on issuu.com and Emma Benany’s experimentations with new media on vimeo.com. Artists are usually known for their experimentations with emerging technologies and ongoing research in various fields of life. Especially, in the age of visual information and media domination, many wish to have a platform or a say and a lot would like to express their thoughts and emotions in a way or another. And with the availability of mediums, tools or even platforms, a lot of experimentations will appear. But to what extent will the production of these creative specks would run its course into a comprehensive narrative, create a new pictorial language and have an impact on the overall cultural setting? 57

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Chat-Rooms Interviews

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Chat Room 1

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Surely, a mutual history between contemporaries, isn’t necessary an indication that they all share similar perspectives andconcerns or have a common collective memory. Yet, it is no coincidence to find several Facebook groups created to assemble people who were born in the 1980’s or archive memories and events, such as: “Mawaleed 80-90” (The progeny of 80-90), Memories of 70’s till 90’s, “Ahla Ayam Omena” (The best days of our lives) or “Al Maokoseen Mawaleed Al Fatra Ma Bein 80-85” (The unlucky who were born in the period of 80-85) or even fan pages for old Egyptian entertainment shows and products. Do you believe that you are generation who shares common interest, collective memory and has a specific conceptual and visual interest?Do you think the term “generation” is a mere concept or a sociological and scientific fact that can be applied in the context of arts and culture?

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Mohamed Alaa:

“A generation is formed when certain group of people witnesses the same events. However, each person has his own storage that has been shaped within his environment. For example, I live in Helwan and I listen to Shabbi (popular) music and that shaped me in a certain way. On the other hand, I am totally against the idea of differentiating between generations in the arts. Personally, I was lucky enough to exhibit with older generation which added a lot to my vision and experience”.

common memories from simple things like a children’s song or a cartoon series that we all used to watch in our childhood. When we listen to it now we all feel the same feeling, as it make us feel we are close and have something in common”.

Shereen lotfy:

“We are defiantly a generation, no matter how strong or large are we, or whether we will continue like other generations or will be scattered. And even if our works might not have gained the acceptance and admiration of everybody, we still form a new generation. And we are Wensh: “I believe our generation had a lot of stuff not a small number and many of us have in common that has shaped our way of actually succeeded in reaching a large thinking. To cut it short it was the number of audience. This generation has television! The television made several things similarly been affected by several political common between us then later each of us and social circumstances. It had the chance developed a personal interest. There are to learn outside the educational institute certain things that are stored in our by the previous 70’s generation and what memory from childhood such as Captain they have introduced to them through their Maged,Grandizer, in addition to Good works, discussions, lectures or workshops. Morning Egypt and Mama Samia with the I also see that our generation had several robot that used to give gifts to the kids better chanes as they were lucky to when they say “ 3arosty”(My Doll). All benefit from the same mediums of the this has been eating up our minds since previous generation, aswell as their childhood and would be reflected on us and our experiences. In fact, they paved the way to us and made things easier and more artworks now ”. available. It was also easier for us to teach ourselves because of the availability of Alia Abo Ouf: “I see that our generation acquired the information that was made easier 63

Ya LoooL Ya through the internet or other sources. This has created quite a large and highly competitive generation”.

computer and technological advancement has created a difference between older generations and ourselves. Since my grandfather was an illustrator for film posters and now I am using his studio, I Norhan Ahmed: “Anything and everything can have an am always comparing my situation to his. unconscious influence on the person. For Although it seems that computer that, I believe as a generation we all have technologies have made things easier, it the same memory card. What has been has actually made it more complex. For screened on the television has been viewed example, today’s illustrator does not need by all of us. We share the same culture to learn fonts as there is a library of fonts and were affected by the same events. in the software he is using. Everything has That has also created a gap between older become ‘copy and paste’ and this has made generations and us. Technology alone is the machine control the designer/artist enough to create such a difference. This and has minimized his space for invention”. applies to artist and art practitioners too. I even experience this gap between us and the younger generation because of the Mohamed Kishk: wider exposure they had. It is amazing “Personally, I like to be connected with how they know everything and lack the older generations and learn from them. I actually look up to several Egyptian artists innocence of their young age”. from the previous generation and I get inspired with international ones like Henry Dalia El Mahdy: “I don’t think that in the arts there is a Moore. I like to see their works and know difference between a generation and their way of thinking, so as to develop another. In general, artists have a special mine later. We don’t want to start things way of thinking and a different perspective. from scratch, but we wish to collaborate That is why, I believe that a collaborative with each other to complete the scene. relationship between different generations Generally, I like how older people think and I trust them when they direct me. I also will be highly beneficial”. believe that our generation has much better chances. Now, we have a lot of workshops, Aya Tarek: “In my opinion our orientation towards more places to exhibit, as well as an older 64

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generation of artists who were exposed to the international scene and gave us what they received. What they did back then was hard, but they had created a route to us and opened several closed areas”.

we do have a common collective memory However, in the arts and culture context, I believe a collaborative mix should take place between the older and younger generations”.

Abdallah Sabry:

Sarah Hamdy:

“I personally object on some practices of older generations of artists, some are trapped in national representations and attached to folkloric themes. Yes, I am an Egyptian artist but I want to create my own character too. Not because I am Egyptian, then I should talk about Egypt. Actually, this way of thinking makes things more complicated and meaningless. I live in Cairo and I experience chaos and tension everyday, but then I am not obliged to talk about that everyday in my art”.

Dalia Abd Al Aziz:

“Thinking about my friends, I see that our generation can be categorized into two groups. One group has been brought up n the Gulf or abroad and came to Egypt at an older age, while the other has lived and stayed in Egypt. When I compare, I find that the first group doesn’t have any common emotions or memories. They are more goal-oriented and only seek financial security. As for the other group, they are usually less self centered, more patriotic, emotional and even more confused. So yes.

“Inevitably we are a generation. We are exposed to the same stuff whether it was because of what has been transmitted through the media or because of the social and political events. We have the same spirit and we even have the same social habits. This was even clear in The Pick 4, which was so important for us in order to appear and know more about each other. And because we are talking here about works of art, personal and subjective differences will always be clearly shown. Having a group exhibition for us, would show the attributes of each one of us and what was common between us. Later, we can see the development of each artist and after a period of time, similarities and differences among us as a generation would be more obvious”.

May Hamdy:

“I think it is hard to predict if this particular group or another has the potential of becoming a generation in the future that influences that art scene or not. As the title says this group is the pick of a generation 65

Ya LoooL Ya that might continue or stop. Definitely, this is just a pick and from here some might continue and some might stop. Generally speaking, I believe that chances are more available for emerging artists than before. The previous generation had received the whole shock, but now people are more open minded and receptive to change”.

Aya Tarek:

“Actually, one of the good things about Pick 4 is that it is not restricted to a certain background and there are different representatives from different universities and various backgrounds. This was not the case in the first and second Pick which featured mainly AUC graduates. The scene back then was much closed on itself and we had to do an effort to know about contemporary arts and get exposed. But now things have started to open up”.

Walaa El Sayed:

“We might be a generation, unless we continue. And these are usually very few”.

Esraa El Fekky:

“I think we do form one generation and surely we have things in common and share the same ideas and perspectives. That is the meaning of being a generation”. 66

Asmaa El Kolaly:

“As a group of artists with the same age bracket, we have definitely been influenced by the same stuff. But usually, a “generation”of artists is used to refer to an assemblage or a group forming a movement. Yet, I am not sure about the effectiveness of this at this period of time. On the other hand, many of us do work in groups to produce combined projects in video or music. I also believe that a group does not necessarily have to have the same style or a particular idea. The most effective form of it would be a group having the same vision but each has his own direction of work. For example, my duet with my sister Hind has been successful but then each one of us has her own dreams for different artworks”.

Wessam Quresh:

“I think a lot of us work in groups but not inthe correct form. I always think why visual artists do not work in teams. In theatre, for example, things can be more productive because they have of a fixed troupe that works on several projects. When one of the projects ends, they would be able to do another project. I have thought of combing a team to produce our video art on a DVD that we can sell and distribute, but it did not succeed because of conflicting opinions”.

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certain generation until a period of time and probably another generation notices “Still in my opinion, none of us know what it. Up till now, for instance, we discover he or she wants exactly. Most of us work different traits about the Seventies and sporadically, if an idea comes to his head”. Eighties that were not noticeable for them. Also, I believe that the way we were brought up makes even the things that attract us Hind El Kolaly: “I think that the independent workshops different, so that even if we are exposed to the same thing, we digest and execute it were essential in making this generation differently. If for example, two of my friends exists. It helped many to find their route and and I were attracted to the same shoe, each share ideas with other artists of their age. would be attracted to a different part and Yet, we are all totally different, as each has aspect of it. I also find it a problem how his own taste. So far, I don’t think we form some older artists’ become trapped in a a generation of the same track, but we do certain style and form for the rest of their career. I think it is quite imperative to keep have several separate groups”. breaking the technique you are used to and experiment with different approaches Wessam Quresh: so that you won’t stand still and be able to “I lately discovered that if I have an idea upgrade yourself. If everything around us of an art project, I should work on it is changing too quickly, then art should at immediately. (Yesterday would be better least follow. For example, after I did my solo than now) .Our ideas as a generation are exhibition in Mashrabia gallery, I felt that I so repetitive, common and similar. This is won’t repeat this kind of work again. It was probably because we see the same things a stage that I don’t wish to return to”. and number of artists is larger and the have developed similar interests. Now, the competition has increased that if there are thirty artists who want to exhibit, only two might have the chance”.

Assma El Kolaly:

Amr Ali:

“I think it is hard to know the traits of a 67

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Chat Room 2

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Artists usually have a stance towards art history and the different movements within it. Some take it as a source of inspiration, some might neglect it and others would rebel on it. How do you define your relationship with the local art history whether it is ancient, modern or contemporary?

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Dalia Abd Al Aziz:

“Actually, there isn’t any story for the history of modern art in Egypt, for it to be written about or documented. Most state art-practitioners and public audiences are still not convinced with contemporary art or young artists and for them there hasn’t been any generation of artists after the Sixties and Seventies. We don’t exist! Open today’s newspaper for example and read the arts and culture page (which normally doesn’t exist), there is an article entitled “An Invitation to Save Fine Arts”, claiming that Egyptian art is endangered(1). This might be normal for a developing country where ”modern art” has only existed a century ago. But cinema too is a newcomer. It is actually not explainable why art is still alienated in our country. Actually, as young artists this helps us to reinvent and start everything from scratch. Unlike, for example, Europe that has reached a stagnant stage. On the other hand, it makes us lost, as one can experiment in anything without knowing the results”.

Asmaa and Hind El Kolaly:

“At college we were usually exposed to the four periods of heritage ( Pharonic, Islamic, Roman and Coptic) in the arts. Then, there wasn’t any information about the arts in periods afterwards. History of art was all about the European schools and movements that have shaped the basis for classic art and the only respectable form of it. Then, whatever happened in the modern and postmodern era in the Egyptian art context was rarely mentioned. The way the curriculum was outlined to highlight some stuff and hinder the rest cause us to be directed blindly. In a way, it would have really helped if the modern and contemporary Egyptian art history was divided into periods with references to some pivotal points, especially that it is doubtful that any pioneer Egyptian artist is used as a reference. But at the same time, this is a positive thing as it helps us to create our own path without relating to the past. The old is comprehensive and finalized and going back to it is sometimes dangerous. Definitely, art history is important to broaden your mind but it shouldn’t be restricting”.

Esraa El Fekky: 1- Hanan El Nady,“ An Invitation To Save The Fine Arts In The 28th Exhibition of El Orey Artists”, El Ahram Newspaper, 09 Jul 09, P.36.

Yes of course, knowing about the works of previous generations is very important. Sure it’s very useful there’s no tree without seeds”. 77

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Wessam Quresh:

“For me, the connection with art history is quite imperative. It helps me to know which direction and line of thought I am following and whether my work is similar to a certain artist. With this knowledge I can build on my idea. It simply helps you where to start and what to do next. Art education in Egypt deals with art history as a secondary subject and the focus goes to the practical subjects. Even the MFA thesis and researches at the library seems to be copied and repetitive. I must admit, I am currently working on my master’s degree and most of my researches are done casually and without enough analysis or documentation”.

Shereen Lotfy:

“Note also that there isn’t any institute or publishing house that is concerned with documenting all the events and artworks. This is very important as it is an informational source for artists and audience and after a period of time, it becomes a history and a reference for other generations”.

Walaa El Sayed:

“ I believe that it is impossible to draw or paint without understanding or knowing about art history. Art production needs practice but it needs also awareness and knowledge. My studies at the art history and criticism section helped me to understand art in more depth and made me become Sara Hamdy: a frequent visitor to exhibitions. This has “Actually, we lack enough sources about enriched my visual memory and storage. whatever happened lately in the Egyptian I also believe that education about art art context. Generally, documentation for history is also a factor for this lack of the arts is a means to connect generations. public awareness and apathy for the This happens usually in any form of art, each arts. Also, Modern Egyptian art has been one of us normally finds himself/ herself divided into sections according to the connected to a certain school or era that European schools and movements he or she relates to and his work at the happening at this time. A lot have followed beginning might be influenced by. One might impressionism or surrealism. I feel , for reproduce it, deconstruct or reconstruct example, that Ramses Yunnan used to its elements. All that at the end, helps imitate Salvador Dali in many of his in the progress of art production. So of paintings. Very few were able to and create specific course, the documentation is important for breakthrough identity such as Abd Al Hady Al Gazar”. us as young artists”. 78

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Norhan Ahmed:

“I actually find the knowledge about art history burdening. In Egypt we are so attached to our cultural heritage and we keep repeating the same things again and we can’t keep repeating history without giving space to anything new. This is a wrong way of making art and we will be always repeating the same art with its forms and topics”.

Alia Abo Ouf:

“The problem is lack of documentation and archiving of the works of most Egyptian artists. I can’t even google names of pioneer Egyptian artists, like Abd Al Hady El Gazar and others. This lack of database, surely affects any art student or researcher to know and understand about the subject and thus leads to the loss of a clear identity of the modern Egyptian art”.

Mohamed Kishk:

“Yes, the lack of documentation has led to the lack of awareness about the contemporary arts. Not only for the general public, but also even for art audience. I even have university art professors or art students that are unaware to the extent that they know nothing about video or performance art and would even refuse it. Even the college curriculum is not structured to include theory or practice of contemporary arts. We take a lot of subjects that are mere crafts or handworks rather than art. A lot also are still trapped in folkloric arts like al khayamia or anything traditional”.

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Chat Room 3

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In a clustered culture like Egypt, it is not scarce to find something to gaze at, but in fact one can easily get elated and distracted with the multiple sounds, visuals, bizarre objects and absurd incident. Actually, popular culture has a strong hegemonic position that affect audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception on multiple levels. How can the local popular visual culture influence or inspire your artwork?

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Shereen Lotfy:

“Everything we see around is part of our visual culture. The colors of the buildings or the way our streets are clustered with advertisements and billboards and how it is exhibited shape our visual memory and taste. The problem is that it is insanely clustered around and dominated by the commercial products and culture that only cares about nothing except profit making and our eyes and taste have grown up on wrong principles. Unfortunately, visual arts might not have the ability to reach everyone like cinema and mainstream media, though its content is very important”.

Dalia Abd Al Aziz:

“ Surely, Mass Media has a great effect on the general taste, to the extent that, there is a certain patterned wall paper that has become popular because of a certain sit-com series in Ramadan. Also, the Turkish Soap Opera ‘Noor’ has gripped the whole region and many started to imitate their lifestyle, taste and even travel to their house and use it for weddings and events. Mass media in our culture is really influential and can change the general tast out any planning that it is hard sometimes to pinpoint its effect”.

Wensh:

“Note also that Mass Media and popular

culture are more available to everyone and are widespread in several places. For example, cinema might not be a product but can become a one by producing several viewing copies of the film. Also, with 10 pounds you can see the film and you can obtain it afterwards. I believe art also will be part of our culture if it could become an item of possession. On the other hand , popular media and the common culture can be inspiring for artists but not for an average person and one can’t depend on it to feed his mind. Its biggest problem is that it is like the moquette carpet, it overspreads and becomes the basis of everything that after a while you get used to it and surrender”.

Ahmed El Azma:

“The problem is mainstream media like cinema and video clips are more profit-oriented with lack of artistry. Personal expression should be encouraged and a radical change should be geared towards experimental film and video art in general”.

Sarah Hamdy:

“In my opinion, songs and music generally, are the most popular and widespread form of arts in our culture, that’s because we still like amusing and obvious things”.

Dalia Abd Al Aziz :

“We should be aware that Art is not part 85

Ya LoooL Ya of the lives of the Egyptians. For many, it has no additive value. But then where are we going ! A country with no imagination has no future. I think young artists should work like a moving circus, jumping between independent and state venues or move to the streets and public areas. The Arts should be more interactive and engaging”.

galleries and doing graffiti in the street, I found that there is no differencebetween the two audience and both are critical in a way. In the gallery, for example, the art viewer would be expecting to see a thorough concept and might disguise direct symbolism. In the streets, people are obsessed with media and television, anything you draw about religion or pop May Hamdy: icons directly penetrates. I found that “For sure, the art is on one side and the the public viewer would allow you to do society is on another. Yet, it is not necessary whatever you want, least you respect that all the public knows and follows the religion and certain taboos”. updates, but at least the circle should increase a bit. In my opinion, people who are Wensh: inside the circle are not ready to open up or “But I think, there is a certain code to reach widen their audience, they are satisfied like the interest of the public. Take street art as this. For that, you find that a lot of viewers an example, there is a difference from doing feel disoriented in art shows asking things that in a quite place like Switzerland or like “ what does this artwork illustrate? ” or doing it in Cairo. In Switzerland you would “ why is this art ?”. This is because in the be doing that to stir up silence, while Cairo past art had a certain function and has lost is crowded and visually clustered and there it now, such as the religious significance or are already many people doing graffiti for an aesthetic function. Now it has no specific other causes like advertisement or writing function and the public will always search for religious messages. That’s why it is a reason to see art and attend exhibitions”. important that I create a visual illusion to grab his attention. As a street artist I Asmaa El Kolely: discovered that people’s reactions are “For example, still for a lot an artist is always different, depending on their someone who knows how to draw or paint”. initial interest in things. Usually, people are attracted to familiar things that would be Aya Tarek: around them and I have found that artworks “From my experience with exhibiting in that are relative to the place and specified 86

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to its people are really catchy” .

Wessam Quresh:

“ Surely, availability is a main reason for the public’s ignorance about the arts. Put in consideration the lack of documentation which is quite imperative for public awareness and the knowledge of later genera tions. This lack of knowledge makes art production only exclusive to a certain group of people. At some point, I feel we are watching each other and it is all about family greetings. On the other hand, some works are complicated and not accessible for everyone”.

quality of their lives. This openness has surprisingly made some more conservative and the rest confused”.

Walaa El Sayed:

“Don’t forget also that there is no mention for the arts in the local media at all. I have worked for a while as a reporter and journalist in an Arabic newspaper, for them art means cinema and news about Ahmed El Sakka or Mona Zaki. There is no mention at all for literature, theatre or fine arts and I tried to push it somewhere else so that it’s not all about cinema and stars. I couldn’t actually, so I left the job after a short while Esraa El Fekky: “I hate it that art goers in Egypt are very and decided to start my M.A in art history limited and that Egyptians are not aware and criticism at the faculty of art education. with the arts at all”. Actually, I didn’t know any Egyptian artist except until my masters. Moreover, I Abdullah Sabry: “As for me, I don’t care about the number believe that even tourism should play a role of viewers. What is important for me is to here. Why we don’t organize trips for the express myself, unleash my inner energy modern Egyptian art museum or Mahmoud and be satisfied. I am not expecting that Khalil. Even Egyptian artifacts are neglected everyone appreciates because the people’s and tour guides usually don’t explain them sense towards art and beauty is weak”. as art. I am against the idea that art is for the elite. It should become part of the Aya Tarek: “The global openness, the satellite and the habits of every family as they will find internet have made most of the people it a great relief to their daily problems, really lost and very few cares about the especially that it is even cheaper than the cinema”. 87

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Mohamed Kishk:

“Contemporary art, in general, is the least acknowledged form of arts in our society and it doesn’t directly affect people. That’s because we were grown up to be apathetic about expressing our opinions or having a point of view and the concern of most Egyptians is to be financially secure. Also art has no means of attraction for it to be known and thus influentially dominate. Whenever I go to exhibition, I get surprised that the public are the same every time. I feel we exhibit for each other , even if the audience are wider after the publicity through the Internet, still people come the first day to attend the gathering and rarely show up the rest of the period, treating it as a wedding or a drinking party. On the other hand, there are zillions of channels that publicize about the cinema. I believe there must be a widening for the circle of art audience, through independent institutions which would aim to publicize about the arts and give adequate finances to the artists”.

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Chat Room 4

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There has been always an argument about whether art could be taught or if it is a mere talent that either you have or not. Where and how did you study art? How your education in the arts helped you to understand your tendencies and gave you an adequate comprehension about the contemporary arts?

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“I have studied Fine Arts at the AUC. I am interested in media, film, animation and “To start off, most schools used to follow sound. I also minored in film at the AUC. the system and curriculum of the ministry. My degree in Fine Arts did not present me The drawing class was a routine that should with the tools required for my interests in be followed and it wasn’t at all influential. media, however, I took it upon myself to In high school, I enrolled in an American acquire the skills individually and through my system school and there I used to learn art interactions with other artists. I highly in an experimental way, using any kind of material or any form. I wasn’t then used to benefited from drawing and art history the idea of drawing based upon an assigned classes. Mainly the styles and progressions topic, so I failed in the examination text and in thought from one art period to the couldn’t join Fine Art College. I then joined other. From the drawing classes, I understood the AUC majoring in Arts, which made me the basic concepts of contrast, lighting, more frustrated. This type of liberal Arts perspective, framing and how to see education might help to broaden your art as a way of thinking. It is also knowledge but it makes you lose focus and imperative to know the transitions between not specialized in anything. A lot of the art periods to understand how various professors weren’t qualified enough artists created concepts, be it in sculpture, and art history courses were based on painting, drawing, film or sound. As for art memorization. Even the career advising education in general in Egypt, I find it hard office didn’t know how to guide us as they to find film and video workshops that offer didn’t understand what we are supposed to contemporary or experimental production. be or do. Very few classes were practical and Also, I feel that young artists are somehow helped me to have an insight to an artist’s disconnected from the scene”. career. One of them was a class about contemporary Egyptian art (offered only Mohamed Alaa: for one semester), in which we had several “I have studied in different educational artists’ visits. This was my only connection institutes, which gave me an insight to to the real world as I felt part of a what they offer here. Initially, I studied community and not trying to connect with information system and later studied in the some pictures in a book”. free studies section at the Fine Arts College, followed by a year at the High Cinema Institute. I might have learned some Ahmed El Azma:

Dalia Abd Al Aziz:

Ya LoooL Ya drawing skills and had the chance to produce a short film. However, the systems in these institutes are regressed. They are only concerned with rules giving little space for experimentation. I think workshops have contributed a lot to the revival of the scene, although there should be more of them in the coming years”.

want their painting to be as perfect as Van Gogh’s. At the end, art is not about painting with a brush anymore”.

Shereen Lotfy:

“Actually, the educational institute in itself is a non artistic organization. Whether it was the school or the university, most educators don’t work on developing the creative and May Hamdy: artistic abilities of the students; they rather “There are three public educational systems focus on few talented students and in Egypt (Fine Art College, Applied Arts, disregard the others”. Faculty of Art Education, these are the only official venues. At the Faculty of Art Asmaa and Hind El Kolely: Education we had the chance to learn about “At the beginning we chose the Faculty everything and several types of work. Still, it of Art Education because we like to draw. needed to be more developed and updated, Later, we joined several independent so that when we graduate we can face what workshops and knew about video art and is happening around”. other mediums. The information, ideas and knowledge about art were very new to Amr Ali: us and totally different from what we “The art educational system in Egypt is have been exposed to at our college. We insane. For example, I studied at the Fine were lucky to be preceded with an older Arts College in Alexandria University. The generation of artists who were exposed to first year I was ranked the 3rd of my class, the international scene and came to share the next year I failed in two subjects and it with us”. then I failed the following year and had to study its courses for a second time. The Mohamed Kishk: level of freedom is really limited and you “At our college we learn everything, such as have to follow what the tutor is saying. Most pottery, sculpture, mosaic, textile making students are concerned with their final and folk art. But this is good in making me grade and not their development as artists. a technician or a worker but not an artist. They are always afraid to try new things and Supposedly, an art institution should teach 94

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you how to create and not only give you a strong technical basis”.

Sara Hamdy:

“I actually like what I have studied at the College of Fine Art of Helwan University. Dalia El Mahdy: When I joined I didn’t know how to draw “Actually, what I have liked the most about and didn’t have any knowledge about Fine the Faculty of Art Education is that we have Arts. Five years is also a short period for learned and used a lot of materials”. a student to know his line or find his path as an artist. Actually, the professors of my Norhan Ahmed: department gave me the space and “In Egypt, most art students bail out the freedom of expression and eventually it idea of being an artist. In one graduating offers an academic form of learning. But class less than 10 percent continue as at the same time, I like the initiative of practicing artists. This is mainly because workshops and how it introduced art of the lack of interest and knowledge students to digital and new media. about art among the public in general, in Personally, after being been exposed to addition to lack of funds. On the other hand, sound art, I found that both the classic a lot of our professors don’t give us a space or medium of painting and the digital mediums freedom for creation. Several of them feel that are attractive and I would like to experiment you are still young and immature. They take in both”. your talent for granted and feel that you are certainly not better than him / her as his / Dalia El Mahdy: her opinion or style are the absolute right. “Actually, what I have liked the most about Any trial from us is looked upon as the Faculty of Art Education is that we have pretentiousness. There are a lot of learned and used a lot of materials”. psychological complexes and very few have actually taught us”. Norhan Ahmed: “In Egypt, most art students bail out the idea of being an artist. In one graduating “For me, the educational institution was class less than 10 percent continue as important for the certificate only, yet the practicing artists. This is mainly because of free workshops and courses were the most the lack of interest and knowledge about art useful”. among the public in general, in addition to

Wessam Quresh:

Ya LoooL Ya lack of funds. On the other hand, a lot of our professors don’t give us a space or freedom for creation. Several of them feel that you are still young and immature. They take your talent for granted and feel that you are certainly not better than him / her as his / her opinion or style are the absolute right. Any trial from us is looked upon as pretentiousness. There are a lot of psychological complexes and very few have actually taught us”.

classic medium of painting and the digital mediums are attractive and I would like to experiment in both”.

Walaa El Sayed:

“We must admit that school curricula were very boring. If the art class was taken, students were told to draw some trivial topics in their sketchbook, like drawing the pyramids, the sphinx or Cairo tower. Some good teachers would open the book and let the students memorize the names of Wessam Quresh: couple of artists. I was later exposed to other “For me, the educational institution was mediums at the Faculty of Art Education important for the certificate only, yet the like sculpture and mosaic, that I wonder free workshops and courses were the most why we didn’t learn them at school. I am useful”. also against the idea that anyone can teach art, they should be art educators who know how to deal with children and youngsters. Sara Hamdy: “I actually like what I have studied at the Up till now, most art colleges lack computer College of Fine Art of Helwan University. program courses and if they are offered in When I joined I didn’t know how to draw private centers, they are usually available in and didn’t have any knowledge about Fine unaffordable prices”. Arts. Five years is also a short period for a student to know his line or find his path Aya Tarek: as an artist. Actually, the professors of my “The problem about art education in Egypt department gave me the space and freedom is that it is completely isolated from the of expression and eventually it offers an language of contemporary arts or the academic form of learning. But at the same international art scene. The ministry is still time, I like the initiative of workshops and attached to the 60’s generation and even how it introduced art students to digital and the workshops that are given by the ministry new media. Personally, after being been of culture are very futile”. exposed to sound art, I found that both the 96

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Chat Room 5

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The art institution is a central aspect for any artist. In-fact, the exhibit space is needed and artists would always be dependent on the art institution in a way or another for financing, announcing, exhibiting, selling, marketing and archiving their ideas and artworks. How do you define your relationship with the institution and to what extent did it help you to recognize your projects and step in the field?

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Aya Tarek:

“I have exhibited and worked with several kinds of institutions such as galleries, biennials, public streets or even as a freelance. Actually, the best thing in street art is that you don’t need to edit your work or provide an explanatory text. As for me, I suffered a lot with the exhibit space and for a while I didn’t know how to reach there. Several galleries deal only with well-known prominent artists and are not willing to change, it’s very hard to reach them. A lot would evaluate you upon your age and not on your seriousness. Some curators still look down at art students from the Fine Arts College or any state college. We are not second degree artists and it’s our right to make mistakes, experiment and learn to become more familiar with the contemporary language. Besides, galleries are either stuck in the praise for the 60’s generation or are looking for contemporary forms without providing enough workshops to teach or educate us more about the contemporary paradigm”.

Wensh:

“Every exhibit place has it politics, even the street has its own rules. For example, we faced some hinders while doing our artworks in the streets because usually graffiti is used as an advertisement or to

write political and religious statement”. While working on our street art works, everyone gets curious and wants to understand what the art piece symbolizes. Several policemen would interfere but then they become very surprised when they know that you are just playing around without any political goal”.

Amr Ali:

“I have lately exhibited in several venues that varied from the commercial, the state run and the independent. My experience with the Ministry of Culture was really unsuccessful, they treated the issue as if it was a competition and I don’t believe there should be challenges or competitions in the arts. This makes artists only concerned with how to shock people and by that the issue becomes dishonest and fake”.

Wensh:

“Even their approach with public art is strange. When the government displays a statue in the street or any object that they consider an artwork they do it for the sake of urban beautification or just to fill in the space and sometimes it would have been much better if they didn’t do it. I wish that public art would be more interactive so instead of a statue by Mahmoud Moukhtar, there would be something such as a video game or an interactive installation”. 101

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Abdullah Sabry:

“ I think that now it is much easier to exhibit with all these venues and galleries”.

Sara Hamdy:

“I haven’t received any refusal from the institution yet, that’s because I don’t do any uncertain step and each time I have exhibited was through workshops or in an academic context. Also, I think that the internet has really helped us in exhibiting our work. For example, I have previously created a blog and it was great, people commented on my work and there is freedom to exhibit what you want without shame. But at the end both the real physical exhibition and the Internet are targeted to a specific audience with special education and interest and none of them can substitute the other”.

Norhan Ahmed:

“Anyone who wants to exhibit can do that tomorrow! Things are much easier nowadays”.

Mohamed Alaa:

“In my opinion, the way exhibitions and shows are currently run, is fabricated and pretentious. I am not convinced, for example, with exhibitions that are based on one theme or concept. That’s a new trend here! Sometimes I work with a concept, but 102

generally speaking I like to do what I feel to enjoy what I am doing. My work is based on personal experiences and inner feelings that are projected in my video. At the end, people believe and enjoy the work if it is honest”.

Shereen Lotfy:

“I believe that concepts and themes limit and hinder the artists. Several emerging artists would do work that fit the requirements of a certain venue, exhibition or taste. This is beside certain repetitive and clichéd concepts like the “other”. I still believe that it is important that artists would have the freedom to do what they like. Artists sometimes are forced to do artworks in a certain way or under a specific concept. This is not out of weakness in their artistic abilities, but because they should follow the institution or the people in charge, as some tend to direct the artists in a way or another to certain themes in a certain way to fit the curated exhibition or competition”.

May Hamdy:

“I don’t think that there is a one formula for creating exhibitions and shows that would be the only suitable way for the art system in the upcoming days. For example, theme-based exhibitions help the audience see a certain topic with the perspective of each artist. At the same time, it is important

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that each artist should have the chance to myself. Then, I found that this is not what produce and talk about what he wants freely I want and it is very hard to produce art in specific personal issues”. in such a systematic routine. So I decided to find ways to finance myself through Wessam Quresh: my art. My background in marketing and “In my opinion, financial support is what advertising helped me to “market myself”, is really missing and a major hinder in art and now I am finding ways to sell my videos production. For me, I can’t keep searching and my art. Yet still, the art market in Egypt for sponsors and funds that if found, they is inactive”. would be given for one project only. I understand that it is usually harder to Dalia Abd Aziz: support an artist because he works “This issue of art market and funds should individually, unlike theatre troupes for be solved, but I don’t know how. Young example, but there should be institutions artists should have more support from the that support the artists”. local community. Institutions, businessmen, banks and several organizations should Aya Tarek: understand the importance of financing “Yes, in order to start my career in art I did local arts”. a huge effort to teach myself how to market my work and find funds for it. I was doing Abdullah Sabry: the whole process of funding, documenting “I believe, you shouldn’t do art for money. and then publishing my work. I then found it If I want money I should work in Mass very hard to depend on external funds and Media, advertising, graphic design or decided to work in design and typography to drawing trompe-l’oeil That’s why I choose to be able to finance myself and do the art I like work as a photographer so that I can bring later. I think it is really hard to start when money to do the art I want. I believe that you lack any guidance about where and how you should do what you want and bring to get money and what kind of work that will money from another place”. fit in which gallery”.

Mohamed Alaa:

Mohamed Kishk:

“The problem is that not all art institutions “I have to say that I worked as an employee are well equipped for all forms of exhibition and wore a formal suit, in order to finance like the installation or video. A lot don’t 103

Ya LoooL Ya accept changing the color of the wall or the space to display your work and most spaces have poor lighting. All this besides that most of these lack budget and rarely do they give finances or support the artists. All that makes you at the end want to bail on the idea of becoming an artist”.

Wessam Quresh:

“Note also that art institutions in other governorates are not equipped at all or even don’t exist. I come from Upper Egypt and there is no existence for contemporary arts in any of the governorates or the suburbs. May be a little bit in Alexandria, but Upper Egypt is completely empty from any activity. If I decided to be an artist, I can’t continue practicing art back where I come from. I will be completely alone! I have dreams to return to Upper Egypt and start certain projects but after I obtain some training that I could use there”.

Even in Cairo most galleries are located in downtown or Zamalek and there are several halls that are not well equipped, as they lack a proper lighting and display system. Other galleries are exclusive and only show works by big names. I think art practitioners, professors and businessmen should support art more and especially the emerging artists”.

Aya Tarek:

“Also, in Alexandria there aren’t any facilities or enough chances and the art scene is really limited. Surely, I want things to be more active in Alexandria and that’s why I chose to work here and not to move to Cairo. The problem is that all the funds and services go to Cairo, because it is a more active and guaranteed place”.

Wensh:

“Cairo is defiantly livelier than Alexandria, so that if art is active with 30 percent in Cairo, it is inactive at all in Alexandria. I, Walaa El Sayed: “I think that the life style of Upper Egypt is actually, don’t have any answer for the totally different from that of Cairo and thus reasons of that nor solutions to solve it, but the production of art will not be the same. In things happen rarely in Alexandria”. Upper Egypt , children don’t have the same amount of sports and social clubs like here. Alia Abo Ouf: The case is similar in Sinai, Nubian and rural “In my opinion, the curatorial process should areas, as they all lack proper art institutions be a fair collaboration between the artist that teach art or display their work. Actually, and the curator for sharing what’s been this centralization of art made it alienated. collected and brought on display to the 104

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public. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only about finding a concept or fund raising. Curators should have an affecting role in documentation of the current art movement because of their daily friction with the art scene. In my opinion also, the reason of the scattered goals of the various institutions is their obsessive need to control, manipulate and get the credit alone. There is ignorance about teamwork and fair management in most institution, as there is always an urge to receive the acknowledgment solely. I believe that understanding group work is a science that should be learned and followed. Not until, all the institutions collaborate, then we can have an active and influential art sceneâ&#x20AC;?.

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