CAIRO - We all have words to say, feelings to express, and ideas to convey, but we all differ in how we communicate them. Some people may write an idea that springs to mind on a handkerchief, a piece of paper or even their desk, while others may inscribe their words on a tree trunk, a wall in the street or a Tube train. These various ways of immediate expression are known as graffiti, which have evolved across the years to be an art form created by a person with a ‘talent' and ‘special gift'. Unlike other conventional artists who take days, weeks and sometimes months to create an aesthetic painting, those involved in the art of graffiti take only minutes to present their work to the masses. The graffitists have a “cordial relationship” with the wall, which serves as an outlet for their suppressed ideas and feelings, and the public's window into them. Using easy, swift media ��" like spray paints, markers and stencils ��" the graffitists merge colours, creating a whole exquisite image that communicates personal, social or political messages instantly. This “instant” world of graffiti, whose walls are the way to freedom and flying high with imagination, is prominently reflected in a festival being held in the Cairo-based Mahmoud Mokhtar Cultural Centre. “The festival's main objective is to give full rein to amateur graffiti, allowing artists to create their imaginative works, building a wall of communication between them and the masses,” says Tamer Assem, the Director of Mahmoud Mokhtar Cultural Centre. “This kind of art is done in stealth on the walls of properties using spray colours, and the artist feels excited that his work is shown in public. But this street art is classed as vandalism, so it has not caught on in Egypt like the other standard art forms,” he adds. All the young artists participating in the festival have released “the wings” of their mind to express themselves freely and openly to an ever-wider public. They spray their inner feelings and external experiences on the walls of the Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum Garden, creating glamorous images, hinting at their own personalities. Amidst an atmosphere of fun and excitement, the masses explore the creativity of these young artists and enjoy their works. “This festival is a good opportunity for graffiti professionals to reveal their honest expressions and expose their creativity in a suitable place, instead of operating in stealth in public places. This art can be later employed to beautify walls and fences tainted with ugliness,” Assem explains. Graffiti art was born in the late 1960s in New York, when young New Yorkers wrote their names, signs and signatures in spray colours on the city walls, buses and subway trains. It has been developing ever since and spread far beyond in many world countries. However, graffiti are not accepted as being an art like those works found in a gallery or a museum. They are denied the status of genuine art because of their illegal location, incoherence and a lack of other basic aesthetic elements. “Graffiti do not receive any attention from the State, but this is the best art form for expressing oneself. It is a free art. I can express an instant idea swiftly. It is a medium through which I can communicate a personal, social or political message as freely as possible,” 23-year-old Nahla Reda, a participant in the festival, told The Egyptian Gazette. Although the participants have different ideas to express, they all share a sense of freedom. “This art allows me to do what I want in a subtle manner,” said Mahmoud Qotb, 24, another participant. The Graffiti Festival is being held in Mahmoud Mokhtar Cultural Centre at Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum, 5, Al-Tahrir St., Opposite to the Cairo Opera House. The Festival, which runs until August 30, is open to the public to enjoy the participants' works.
