City Life
Cairo Weekend Guide: Remember the Revolution
written by
Cairo 360
It’s been a tough week in the city. The kind that really does make all seem trivial. Even in the pursuit of a brighter side, there’s no catharsis, no optimism and no faith.
It’s become a cliché, but the January 25th Revolution didn’t just shake the politics of Egypt, but it sent shockwaves through our way of life. It’s a rosy sentiment, yes, but even now, we stand as an articulate and eloquent population, weary of the worst. Remember the revolution; remember what it accomplished; remember the sacrifice and remember that it was only a first step.
The Cairo International Film Festival has been disrupted over the past week and El Sawy Culturewheel has closed its doors for the weekend. But if you ever needed a reminder of the resilience, resourcefulness and pluck of the Egyptian people, you needn’t look further than our cultural centres and galleries.
Artist Hany Rashed has taken the revolution to heart more than most; having condemned his pre-revolution work to be obsolete on account of being overshadowed by fear and censorship. Rashed’s new artistic approach, as seen in ‘Asa7by’ at Mashrabia Gallery, takes advantage of what he considers to be the phenomenon of online comics and Photoshop creating, using a standardized catalogue of visual tools such as recurring themes and sayings.
Al Masar Gallery continues to commemorate late, great artist, Mounir Canaan with ‘Last Statement of a Revolutionary Artist’; a solo exhibition of his life’s work in which his collection ‘X Condition’ is also featured.
At Gallery Misr, Fathi Afifi’s latest exhibition ‘Proletariat’ looks at grassroots life in Egypt – a theme that runs through the group exhibition at Al Kahila Art Gallery, which features the work of Egyptian artists, Ibrahim Ghazalah, Ahmed Ragab Sakr and Assem Abdel Fattah and sculptors El Shazly Abd Allah, Ehab El Asuotty and Mostafa Elazzb.
Elsewhere, Mai El Noury’s observations of Cairo, its people and its traditions feature in ‘Tale Dream’; a collection that reflects the city’s unquestionable qualities. Meanwhile, graphic design teacher, photographer and artist, Marwa Abdel, presents a collection of photographs, calligraphy and conceptual design portraying women’s roles in society – a sore topic in Egypt right now – in her exhibition, ‘The Journey‘.
‘On Photography’ at Studio Viennoise examines the history of photography and the evolution of its practices to the current day. Various talks, film screenings and photo sessions are planned to take place sporadically throughout the weekend.
This weekend guide comes with pit-in-stomach and a pinch of salt. Before visiting any of these, or any other venues around Cairo, be sure to call ahead to enquire about any possible closures, postponements and adjusted opening times.
Have a safe weekend Cairo.
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