CAIRO: Does graffiti, when confined to a gallery space, retain the same potency as street art? Nine of Cario's most popular street artists were invited to explore this question on the walls of Cairo's Townhouse Gallery in a new exhibition called “This is Not Graffiti.” The artists relocated their art to the boundaries of Townhouse's gallery walls, and were given carte blanche to do as they may with their designated space. It was the first time that many of these artists had their work on display indoors. A maturation of graffiti in the city has, for many, indicated the unfurling of art and expression in post-January 25 Cairo. Graffiti is an act of defiance, and many in Egypt have used it as a vehicle for their ideas and their discontent. Townhouse's newest exhibition is by no means “graffiti,” but instead serves as an homage to Cario's street artists whose iconic images now adorn the city's streets. Though still a product of talent and wit, the art on display was tamed and stripped of its edgy “street art” status. Nonetheless, the pieces elicited excitement, giggles and debate throughout the evening. “Its not graffiti, but it's a good statement to acknowledge Cairo's street artists as equal inside of a gallery– especially this being one of the country's most prominent galleries. It's a very generous recognition of them,” said Yusef Bashat, an Egyptian art student who attended the opening. “This is one of the few times that I feel optimistic. I think that we will see the scene grow as people continue pushing and continue painting again and again– even if authorities continue to paint over their work,” he added. Some were not as optimistic, however, stating that the artists missed the mark with the artistic insurrection they are known for. “It seems like people are patting themselves on the backs a little too soon. The art definitely shows a political opening here in Cairo, but it could end at any second,” said one attendee. “To be honest, most of the art happening outside of Zamalek gets pained over pretty quickly,” he added, ominously. The battle for free expression in Cairo is yet to be won. However, the outpouring of expression in the city is unprecedented. The evening's attendees were invited to adorn the walls of a separate gallery space with their own messages and paintings. Slogans of revolution, calls for freedom, and trending Twitter hash tags adorned the walls, alongside playful doodles. Townhouse's exhibition features the work of Keizer, Sad Panda, El Teneen, Adham Bakry, Dokhan, Hend Kheera, Hany Khaled, Charles Akl and Amr Gamal. ** The exhibition will continue for the next few weeks, and will be open daily from 10 am to 9 pm. BM
