Ammar Abo Bakr. Photo by Mia Gröndahl, 2012.

Liberation

27 oktober 2012 – 5 january 2013

On Tuesday, January 25th, 2011, thousands of Egyptians took to the streets in protest against the Mubarak regime. In Cairo “Midan Al Tahrir”, or Tahrir Square became the focal point for the demonstrators. It was a moment of solidarity that set off a series of events, with promises of a transition to democracy.

“Liberation – A Process Review” is an art project showcasing five Egyptian artists who were active during the Egyptian revolution. The selected artworks serve as reminders of key milestones that unfolded over the fifteen months following the initial wave of revolution in Egypt.

On January 28th, known as “The Friday of Rage”, hundreds of thousands of people marched towards Tahrir Square. It turned into a day of clashes with riot police and many sacrificed their lives for their ideals. That night, the protesters initiated a sit-in strike at the square. It was during this time that civilians began to feel supported by the military and the army was seen as the saviors of the revolution.

The exhibition is curated by Nagla Samir.

More information can be found in the Folder (available only in Swedish).

Participating artists

Marwa Adel. In her exhibition titled “Hiding” – showcased in 2012 at Artsawa Gallery in Dubai – Marwa Adel emphasized the importance of introspection and staying true to oneself rather than fulfilling others’ expectations. “We need to look deep inside of ourselves and find who we really want to be and what we are really trying to be, instead of trying to fullfill others dreams about us”.

Ammar Abo Bakr. “If you write poetry, write poetry that gets close to people. If you create art, use it publicly, so that you reach peoples hearts, that will drive you to create more.” – This is how Ammar Abo Bakr (b. 1980) explains his drive for the art.

Khaled Hafez. “Before i start a project my worries lies mostly in trying to create an intelligent work, not an aesthetic. Many times that is when the visual illusion offer an interesting result”. – This is how Khaled Hafez describes his artistic work and it is something that can be seen in his works shown at Havremagasinet.

Mahmoud Refat. A driving force behind Cairos lively, experimental music scene is Mahmoud Refat; sound artist and musician. He is the founder of the label 100COPIES, focusing on experimental music, the festival 100LIVE Music Festival and the 100Radio Station.

Ahmed El Shaer was born 1980 in Cairo where he also lives and work. Ahmed El Shaer is one of the artists that was (and still is) dedicated to the Egyptian popular uprising and was present the Friday of Rage.

Ahmed El Shaer.