Protests in Iraq and Lebanon. Censorship in Egypt and Iran. Growing conservatism in Turkey. All of these events are catalysts - both good and bad - for artists in the Middle East. In a change of pace, Phil and Cooper speak with Nazlan Ertan, Al-Monitor’s Culture Editor, to talk about how recent uprisings have provided a special opportunity for protest art, and how governments utilize art and culture to transform their image or instill national pride.
- How artistic freedom of expression shrinks in 'new' Egypt (Shahira Amin)
- Artists splash Iraqi protests with vivid imagery (Gilgamesh Nabeel)
- 'Eggupation' breeds revolutionary thinking in Beirut (Euan Ward)
- Lebanon's revolutionary art flourishes despite culture sector strike (Nicholas Frakes)
- Joker jumps from screen to streets of global revolutions (Nicholas Frakes)
- Iran's top cultural event jeopardized by artist boycotts (Saeid Jafari)
- The Istanbul Archaeological Museums return, piece by piece (Giuseppe Mancini)
- Istanbul's Arter ‘pushing boundaries' of Turkey's art scene (Ayla Jean Yackley)
Music: Cairokee - “Kan Lak Ma’aya” (ft. Umm Kulthum) (Spotify | Apple Music)
