Artistic freedom of expression shrinks in 'new' Egypt
Nine years after a revolution that had "freedom" as a primary demand, censorship of the arts and music is back in full force with added restrictions on organizing cultural events in Egypt.
The Jan. 25, 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak unleashed a creative revolution with the spontaneous emergence of a variety of art forms: graffiti, street performances, underground music and satirical online videos. Much of the revolutionary art was a form of protest against social injustice and repression, but it also acted as a visual commentary on the dramatic developments that were unfolding during that time of political turmoil. Relishing their newfound freedom, artists and musicians used their art to express grievances about "social wrongs" and urge action to redress them.
Nine years on, as the anniversary of the revolution approaches, there is hardly a trace of the cultural awakening that symbolized the freedom of expression in the "new" Egypt. An ongoing security crackdown on dissent, in place since 2013, has targeted artists and musicians along with opposition and political figures, journalists and members of the LGBT community, stifling freedom of expression and putting a lid on provocative art and creativity.
Nearly all of the graffiti art that mushroomed on the walls in and around Mohamed Mahmoud Street in the wake of the revolution has been whitewashed and a large part of an iconic graffiti wall on the same street has been torn down. As the authorities carry out extensive renovation works in downtown Cairo, they appear adamant to wipe out any remnants of the revolution. Tahrir Square where the protesters had gathered is undergoing an overhaul — its second since 2011.
Meanwhile, a number of artists who rose to prominence during the revolution, have paid a high price for expressing nonconformist ideas. Ganzeer, notorious for his street art lampooning the military, was forced to flee Egypt for the United States after he was branded "a terrorist" by the country's pro-government media in early 2014. His disputed poster on the Mohamed Mahmoud wall depicting a soldier standing amid a pile of skulls likely provoked the allegation, putting him at risk of arrest.
