Nefertiti In A Gas Mask: Street Art In Egypt

Link to the Interview:  http://www.thestory.org/mediaplaylist/popup

With the rise in political turmoil in Egypt has come a rise in the amount of street graffiti, and a shift from strictly visual art, to visual art that represents not only political ideals, but the effects of this turmoil. The above link is an interview by Dick Gordon for American Public Media and Soraya Morayef, a London based journalist who has been tracking and documenting these shifts. Morayef details the risks involved with creating political art that goes goes against the state. She has seen a rise in the jailing of street artists, as well as the increase in awareness from the public. She also notes the way in which social opinion is easily swayed by media and political influence.

Gordon is a direct interviewer, but his penchant for interruption is bothersome. I wanted to listen more to Morayef and her words. She is extremely well spoken and has procured a wealth of information and understanding which she channels into her blog, suzeeinthecity.wordpress.com. Here, the reader is invited to explore the streets of Cairo, and to understand the cultural backdrop and context required to understand how art and politics have intertwined. Morayef speaks fondly of Ganzeer, and she regards her contacts within the street art scene as a kind of “massive spy network,” (Morayef, Nefertiti in a Gas Mask: Street Art in Egypt, 2013) that she has created a relationship of trust with, a trust that sounds as though it is difficult to come by.

References

Morayef, S. (2013, July 9). Nefertiti in a Gas Mask: Street Art in Egypt. (D. Gordon, Interviewer)

Morayef, S. (2015, November 25). On Codes and Translation: Understanding Alaa Awad. Retrieved from Suzeeinthecity|Art in the Streets of Cairo: https://suzeeinthecity.wordpress.com/