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，涂鸦已被用于个人表达以及对社会和政治动态的评论。它们成为记录的媒介和纪念的工具，从而呈现出一种革命慢性病的形式。计划中的研究项目调查年轻的开罗艺术家如何使用涂鸦作为表达的中心媒介。选择开罗艺术家的涂鸦作品和图像元素将被分析，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。这项研究的重点是在穆罕默德·马哈茂德街及其附近的街道上画的涂鸦。由于靠近标志性的解放广场，它们曾是安全部队和抗议者之间暴力对抗的场所，现已成为涂鸦制作的中心。在这方面，涂鸦艺术家Ammar Abu Bakr，Keizer，Nazeer，El-Zeft和Alaa al-Awad的作品是核心，将特别进行分析。由于他们使用不同的，甚至是不同的风格和概念，因此可以研究各种各样的Cairene涂鸦作品。主要的研究问题是：这些艺术家使用了哪些元素/符号，他们是如何将它们联合收割机组合起来的？他们在主题上提到哪些事件，他们如何通过评论在关于他们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？哪些象征性的参考，隐喻和文化代码可以识别？在这些涂鸦中，文字信息和视觉元素之间的关系是什么？本研究的第一部分是基于（视觉）内容分析领域的技术以及叙事学和媒体理论。随后，它将扩大定性半结构化，叙事采访已与格拉西亚艺术家进行。在此，将研究他们对自己作品的看法和评论以及他们确定的识别线和分界线。因此，将突出强调他们如何看待、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的变革。它分析了年轻的凯雷内格拉西亚艺术家的生活世界是如何反映在他们的作品，他们如何感知，（脱）参与和互动的后期动荡。

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.