Graffiti of young Cairene artists as a mirror of political and social transformations: An analysis of iconographic dynamics and forms of self-positioning (since 2011)

自2011年埃及革命以来，涂鸦一直被用于个人表达，以及对社会和政治动态的评论。它们成了记录文件的媒介和纪念的工具，从而呈现出革命的一种慢性形式。计划中的研究项目调查了年轻的凯恩艺术家如何使用涂鸦作为主要的表达媒介。将分析精选凯恩艺术家涂鸦中的作品和肖像元素，以及这些艺术家如何在更广泛的框架(社会、艺术场景等)中定位自己。这项研究的重点是穆罕默德·马哈茂德大街及其附近街道上的涂鸦。由于靠近标志性的解放广场，它们是安全部队和抗议者之间发生暴力冲突的地点，并已被改造成涂鸦制作的中心地点。在这种背景下，涂鸦艺术家阿马尔·阿布·巴克尔、凯泽、纳齐尔、埃尔-泽夫特和阿拉·阿瓦德的作品是核心，将特别进行分析。由于他们使用不同的，甚至经常是不同的风格和概念，因此可以研究广泛和多样的凯恩涂鸦创作。主要的研究问题是：这些艺术家使用哪些元素/符号，以及他们如何结合这些元素/符号？他们在主题上指的是哪些事件？他们如何通过自己的评论在关于他们的社会的辩论中定位自己？表达了哪些政治、社会和/或宗教声明？哪些象征性的指称、比喻和文化代码可以被识别？文字信息和这些涂鸦中的视觉元素之间是什么关系？这项研究的第一部分是基于(视觉)内容分析以及叙事学和媒体理论领域的技术。随后，将通过与涂鸦艺术家进行的定性、半结构化、叙述性采访来扩大它的范围。在此，我们将研究他们对自己作品的看法和评论，以及他们所认同的认同和分界线。因此，将着重说明他们如何看待、评论和对最近的变革采取立场。拟议的项目将有助于研究埃及最近发生的变化。它分析了年轻的凯恩涂鸦艺术家的生活世界是如何在他们的作品中反映出来的，他们如何在后期的剧变中感知、(脱离)参与和互动。

Since the Egyptian revolution in 2011, graffiti have been used for individual expression and as comments on social and political dynamics. They became media of documentation and tools of commemoration, thus presenting a form of a chronic of the revolution. The planned research project investigates how young Cairene artists use graffiti as a central medium of expression. The writings and iconographic elements in the graffiti of select Cairene artists will be analyzed as well as how these artists locate themselves in a broader frame (society, art scene etc.). The study focusses on the graffiti that have been painted in the Muhammad Mahmud street and the streets in its immediate proximity. Being close to the iconic Tahrir square, they were the sites of violent confrontations between security forces and protesters and have been transformed into a central place of graffiti production. In this context, the works of the graffiti artists Ammar Abu Bakr, Keizer, Nazeer, El-Zeft and Alaa al-Awad are central and will especially be analyzed. Due to the fact that they use different, often even divergent, styles and concepts, a wide range and variety of Cairene graffiti production can thus be studied. The main research questions are: Which elements/symbols do these artists use and how do they combine them? To which events do they refer thematically and how do they position themselves in debates about their society by means of their comments? Which political, social and/or religious statements are expressed? Which symbolic references, metaphors and cultural codes can be identified? What is the relationship between text messages and visual elements in these graffiti? This first part of the study is based on techniques from the field of (visual) content analysis as well as narratology and media theories. Subsequently, it will be broadened by qualitative semistructured, narrative interviews which have been conducted with the Graffiti artists. Hereby, their views and comments on their works as well as the lines of identification and demarcation, which they identify will be studied. Thus it will be highlighted how they perceive, comment and take up positions towards the recent transformations. The proposed project will contribute to studies about the recent transformations in Egypt. It analyzes how life worlds of young Cairene Graffiti artists are reflected in their works, how they perceive, (dis-)engage and interact within the late upheavals.