Rania Khallaf explores another revolutionary work of art, this time on a large scale Dozens of exhibitions have been held since the 25 January Revolution succeeded in ousting the former president Hosni Mubarak. Yet more are still waiting in the wings. I went to see talented artist Taha El-Qorani, who is now working on a 40- metre mural showing the many stages of the revolution. A number of young artists and fine arts students in Alexandria have been painting other mini-murals on the walls along the sea front. Their drawings depict the joy Egyptians felt after they overcame the corrupt regime. The walls of houses recently scrawled over by slogans denouncing the Mubarak regime during the 18 days of the revolution, and urging him to leave power, are now adorned with artistic drawings depicting the faces of the revolution. Prominent among them are images of Khaled Said, an Alexandrian who was beaten to death by police on 10 June 2010 and whose name was a rallying cry in the January uprising. The role of the army in protecting the revolution is also recognized in these murals. Murals were a part of the historical background as early as the ancient civilization, when ancient Egyptians depicted not only aspects of their daily life and rituals on the walls of their tombs, but also the exploits of kings on their temple walls and pylons. In contemporary history, the Mexican Revolution gave way to a renaissance in mural painting. The Mexican muralists transformed the art to make it more accessible to the public. Their primary concern was raising a public and accessible visual dialogue with the Mexican people. More importantly, they played a central role in the cultural and social life of the country following the 1910 -- 1917 nationalist revolution against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. Qorani's Tahrir mural is the third project of its kind by the artist. His first mural, "Friday Market", was produced in 2007 and depicted the daily lives of people centered on a wholesale market in Imbaba, one of the poorest and most deprived areas of Cairo. The subject of his next mural in 2010 was the features and rituals of the authentic Egyptian mouled (saint's feast day) which he viewed as the "legitimate refuge of marginal people in Egypt". Qorania's sympathy with deprived and marginal people has motivated him to undertake this third mural which features the revolution. He has long been on the side of the opposition, and so it was only natural for him to be there in the front line of the demonstrators in Tahrir Square. "I was there with the young people from the beginning of the revolution, and I felt every beat of it," he told Al-Ahram Weekly. "However, I never expected the revolution to go this far. But, anyway, revolutions in general are like snow balls; they start off small and get bigger the further you push them." "I expected it to be a revolution of hungry people, because I know there is an acute hunger crisis in Egypt, but it turned out to be a unique version of a middle-class revolution; educated young people who insisted on resisting the terrible and increasing corruption. "The most important day was on 25 January, when all the demonstrators came out of nowhere and assembled in the square." So what were the scenes that most inspired him in this unique portrayal of the revolution? "It was the idea of having four main entrances to the square, each one leading in a different way to the fore and core of the square and simultaneously to the heart of the revolution; it was just amazing. This took me by surprise, since I have always liked the idea of the coming together of enthusiastic crowds and their flow to a certain point." The mural is divided into smaller portraits, each one 2.45 m by 1.45 m. It is divided into subjects covering each and every one of the Friday events; the famous camel battle and the night when Omar Soliman announced the departure of Mubarak; and features of the revolution in other cities such as Alexandra, Port Said and Suez. The mural's blossoming colors denote the freshness of revolution, as well as the hidden joy inside demonstrators even when they were screaming for freedom. "The heroes in the separate pieces of my mural are the young people. They had a certain look on their faces that reflected resistance and an insistence on ousting the corrupt old regime," he said. "The slogans and symbols represented in the demonstrations were just amazing. I noticed about 1,200 symbols that were a feature of the uprising. These included the camps; the eyes and mouths closed shut by a strap or so to reflect the state of depression and lack of freedom in the country; and several other symbols. "The revolution that was spurred out of Tahrir Square led to a revolution of art, where in the afternoons young people would come up with ironic caricatures and dance movements to express their unique resistance. This takes up a good part of the mural." Qorani's new project has had no financial sponsorship from any institution, but he hopes this mural will be among the artistic acquisitions of the revolution. In two months' time the mural will be exhibited in Tahrir Square, after which it will tour the governorates, especially those that witnessed fierce demonstrations and confrontations with the police. Qorani, who is in his mid fifties and who is expected to be the next head of the Plastic Arts' Syndicate, believes that Tahrir Square has become a focal point for Egypt, something like a Qa'aba, and he hopes the square will become a space for exhibiting liberal arts from other parts of the world. "It is the least we can offer to those who died in the revolution, who embarrassed our generation and proved their unconditional love for this country," he said.
