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AudiencesandArtinthePublicSpaceinEgypt:Whywedowhatwedo www.arestlessart.comWrittenbyHebaEl-Cheikh.Version1,lastupdated:1.4.2016.Text©2016HebaEl-Cheikh;images©Creditedphotog-raphers.OriginallypublishedinaslightlydifferentversioninTHETURNالمنعرجArtPracticesinPost-SpringSocieties,editedbyChristineBruckbauerandPatriciaK.Triki,Vienna:VerlagfürmoderneKunst,March2016andreproducedwithpermission.ThisworkisdistributedundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives4.0Inter-nationallicence.Youarefreetocopy,distribute,ordisplaythedigitalversiononconditionthat:youattributetheworktotheauthor(s);theworkisnotusedforcommercialpurposes;andyoudonotalter,transform,oraddtoit.

AUDIENCESANDARTINTHEPUBLICSPACEINEGYPT:WHYWEDOWHATWEDOHEBAEL-CHEIKH

‘WHATDOYOUMEANBY“SHOW”?’

Thequestionhungintheair,withamixofcon-fused and aggressive facial expressions and aclueless, empty gaze that I received from theyoungofficeronthiswarmwinterafternooninPortSaid(acitysituatedalongtheSuezCanalinEgypt).

Itallstartedwhenwedecidedtoexpandourac-tivities,thankstoagenerousgrantthatwere-ceived from Drosos to support our program‘Access to Art’ and its three projects: ‘Art ofTransit’,‘Mosaic’,and‘FacetoFace’.Duringthe‘ArtofTransit’projectwebegantoorganizeaquarterly artistic andperformative tour of thecities inwhichweoperate:GreaterCairo, andthree large cities in the Delta Region, namelyPort Said, Damietta, and Mansoura. Our firsttour,inOctober2014,wasintendedtobeasvis-ibleaspossible,nolongeralowprofilepresenceinthestreets(aswasourpreviousstrategy).WebroughttogethertheOscarismamarchingbandwiththegiantpuppetsofAlKoushaforthepup-petstomakea‘spectacular’entryintothestreetsofthecity,bringingjoy,happinessandenter-tainmenttopassers-by.

OurfirstmarchinPortSaidwasquitesuccessful.Themayoroftheneighbourhoodwaspositivelysurprisedbythe‘quality’oftheshow–somuchsothatherecommendedweslightlyshiftthelocationofthesecondmarch,whichwasintendedtobeperformedatSoukAli,alocalmarketontheoutskirtsofthecity.Thenewlocationwasafewblocksawayfromthemarket,inasquare.Justourbadluckthiswasinfrontofapolicestation–alocation,amongothersensitivebuildingssuchashospitalsandmosques,wewouldusuallyavoidwhileperforming.

PhotobyMohamedKamalcourtesyMahatatforcontemporaryart

AudiencesandArtinthePublicSpaceinEgypt:Whywedowhatwedo 2

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Theydidn’thavetomovefromtheirplace:allbigsecuritytrucks,vehicles,jeeps,adozenspecialforcesintheirblackoutfitsandmasks,officers,andsoldiersoflowerranksweretheresurround-ingus,lookingatuswithastonishment.Ourbouncersandsecuritymenwithbigmuscles,andourvolunteersontheground,steppedaway,leavingmetodealwiththesecurity.Ifoundmyself,inmyprettybluedress,withabigsmile,delicatevoice,andthepolitetoneofawell-behavedlady,tryingtoexplaintotheyoungofficerwhatweweredoing.Ihadtorepeat‘It’sashow,aperformance,youknow,puppets,music...youknow,oldstreetart?Aragoz?1Storytellers?’overandoverinanefforttomakethemunderstandwhatweweredoing.Ievenstartedtopointatthemusiciansandperformerswearingtheirinstrumentsandpuppetsinordertoexplainwhatour‘show’wasabout.

Finally, Ishowedhim,confidentlyandfirmly, the permit that we receivedfrom the neighbourhood authorities.Luckilythiswastheonlyauthoritywhoconsentedtohandusawrittenpermit.Itisworthmentioningthatprevioustothis tour, organized in October 2014,wehadneveroptedtosecureanyper-mitstoperforminthestreetsofCairo,orDamietta.Wewereawarefromthestart that the ‘permission’ and ‘con-sent’ofouraudienceandthecommu-nitylivinginthespace/neighbourhood,(suchascoffeeshopowners,workers,andvendors),wasmoreimportantthanapermitfromtheauthorities.Withthenewgeographicalexpansionofourtours,westartedtosecurepermits,astheyareimportantinourtimes,(especiallyconsideringtheescalationofeventsafterJune30th2014),toprovideasafeenvironmentforperformers,crew,andaudiences.

Nervously,theyoungofficerwalkedaway,talkedtohischiefofficeronawalkie-talkie,andthengavemethephonetotalktothechief.Irepeatedthewholestory,againwithnosuccess:thechiefalsodidnotunderstandwhatIwastalkingabout.Fiveminuteslaterhecamedownhimself,readthepapercarefully,andfinallyagreedthatwecouldperform,(butnotonthemarketstreetbecause‘it’sadangerousplacefullofdrugdealers’).Instead,wewereallowedtoperformonthecity’smainstreet,escortedbyafewdozenofficersandspecialforces.

Amused,Ifollowedthemarchandsurprisinglyoverheardthesameyoungofficertalkingtohiswifeonthephone,proudlytellingherthathewasnowprovidingsecurityforsomeartistsplayinginthestreet.

Atthatmoment,Irealizedthisofficermightneverhaveattendedaliveshowinhiswholethirtyyearsoflife–notheatre,nomusicconcerts,nothing!Rien!Nada!ThisofficerislikeanyotherEgyptiancitizenwhohaslittle-to-noaccesstoartbecauseofcentralization,and/orsocialandgeographicexclusion.

1 The‘Aragoz’isatraditionalhand-madewoodenpuppetthatusedtowanderpublicspaces,usuallyduringtraditional

festivals,‘Mouled’,andweddings.AragozstoriesusuallycriticizeoneormoreaspectsofEgyptianlifeandculture,representedbytheirrecklessandsatiricalcharacter.

PhotobyRanaEl-NemrcourtesyMahatatforcontemporaryart



TheculturalsceneinEgyptismainlydividedbetweentwokindsoforganizations:stateinstitu-tionsaffiliatedwiththeculturalministry,suchastheoperahouseinCairoandthenationalthe-atres,andtheculturepalacesandclubs.WiththenationalistpoliticsofNasserinthe1960sandthe1970s,artandculturebecamemoreandmorecentralized,onlydiffusedandproducedinthegovernoratesbytheMinistryofCultureanditsinstitutions.Thesestate-sponsoredinstitu-tionsdominatetheculturesceneinthegovernoratesoutsideCairoandAlexandria.

Backinearly2000,independentorganizationssuchasTownHouseGallery,CIC(ContemporaryImageCollective),andAlMawredAlThaqafy (CultureResource)appearedonthesceneand,witholdercommercialgalleriessuchasMashrabiaandKarimFrancisGalleries,pleadedforqual-ityinartandindependencefromthecorruptstatesystem.Mostoftheseorganizations,galleries,workshopspaces,andexhibitionsvenuesarelocatedinDowntownCairo.Bothstate-sponsoredspacesandtheindependentartsceneremaininaccessibletothemajorityoftheEgyptianpop-ulationastheyareeithergeographically,orsociallyexclusive.

However,therearestillafewestablishedorganizationslocatedinCairothathaveacommunityoutreachapproach,suchasArtellewa,AlwanwaAwtar,andElTakeibaartspaces.

Inlate2011,mypartnersandIfoundedMahatatforcontemporaryart,asweaimedatmakingartvisibleinthedailylifeofEgyptiancitizensandmoreaccessibleanddecentralizedfromthecapitalbyorganizingartinthepublicspaceandcommunityengagedartprojects.Nowwerealizethatbyorganizingartisticinterventionsinpublicspaces,notonlydoweofferanentertaining,fun,andreflectiveexperiencetotheaudience,butwealsocreateareference,anewcollectiveimageandmemoryaboutcertainartformsthatexistedinthepublicspherethatwearerestor-ingfromneglectanddust.

Althoughtheaccessibilityofartwasalways,andsincetheverybeginning,Mahatat’smainob-jectiveandgoal,thisrealitystruckmestronglyanddeeply.

PhotobyMalekEissacourtesyMahatatforcontemporaryart



SIXMONTHSLATER!‘THEYMAKEUSFEELLIKEHUMANBEINGS.’

InMarch2015, sixmonths later,weorganizedanew tour indifferent locations in the fourcities.Thistimeweperformedclassicalmusicandsongs.Theprogrammewasamixoffamousoperasongsand Arabic oldies, recognized and loved by thewholeEgyptianaudience.All thiswasperformedonbalconies intherespectivecitiesandinahis-torical ruinedpalace inMansoura city.Weweretheretowitnessthepureamazementoftheaudi-ence,watchingand listeningto theprimadonnacomeoutontothebalconyandsinghersopranomelodies,accompaniedbyaviolinistandpercus-sionist,allwearingpyjamasand robes. Iwasen-chanted to see the little kids dancing, amazedwatchingthishandsomesingerinhistuxedocom-ingoutofthebalconyoftheruinedRedPalace(alahmar) in Mansoura, transformed by light andmusicintoamagicalfairypalace.

Wewould have been very contentwith just thesparkles intheeyesandtheenchantmentoftheaudience,butwewerealsomuchrewarded!Withthe constant presence of security escorting ourperformanceswith their cars and sirens (to pro-tectus),weweresurprisedastherigidfacesofthestate’ssecurityofficers(amnmarkzy)grewsofterandtenderer,songaftersong.Theyhadalsojoinedthelinesofouraudience.Andthiswasanewvictoryforus.

Anoldmanstoppedbyandaskedabouttheperformance,whohadorganizedit,andwhatthesepeopleweredoing.Whilewalkingaroundandminglinganonymouslywiththeaudience,aswellastherestofMahatat’screw,OmarElMotazBellah,thedirectoroftheTeatro independenttheatregroup,replied,‘Youknowhaj(oldman),theyareofferingoperaandoldiessongstothepeople.’Theoldmannodded,lookeddown,andthensaid‘Godblessthem!Theymakeusfeellikehumanbeings.’

Intheidealismandsimplicityofthisstatement,theoldmansummarizedtheessenceofwhywearedoingthis.Hemighthaveansweredallthequestions,theinsecuritiesanduncertaintieswehadstruggledwiththroughoutourfouryearsofworkinginthestreets–thequestionswehavebeentryingtofindanswersto.Hisstatementhassimplifiedallthejustificationswehadrepeatedinfrontofourfamilies,friends,donors,audiences,andevenpoliticians.

Webelievethatartdoesnotneedtohaveacertainmessage,itisnotabouteducatingpeoplenorcultivatingthem,butit isallaboutprovidingmomentsofpurejoy,andreflection.Artre-storeslifeandisrootedinthecoreessenceofhumanrightsanddignity.

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PhotobyAhmedNajibcourtesyMahatatforcontemporaryart



PhotobyAhmedNajibcourtesyMahatatforcontemporaryart

Heba El-Cheikh is a culturalmanager and freelancewriter living andworking in Egypt. After studies in

French,translationandjournalism,shegainedaMastersinArtsManagementatUtrechtUniversity,witha

thesisonCommunityArtsEvaluationPracticesinEgypt(2015).In2009,sheco-foundedTheJourneyCul-

turalGroupinAlexandria,workingwithyoungpeopleoncreativityandcriticalthinking,andin2011,Ma-

hatatForContemporaryArtinCairo.