Egyptian protesters converted public space into a tool for activism either through protesting, screenings or graffiti.

Aaskar Kazeboon (Military Liars), as an example, is a campaign which started in Egypt and succeeded in exposing the violations and lies of SCAF, the ruling military council, before the takeover of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Kazeboon was created to address the problem of state controlled media through the use of public space to counter their narrative. Kazeboon defied deluded patriotic sentiments about the army. Their crimes, captured on video, were exposed through a decentralized method of information dissemination by directly delivering information to the people on the streets.

Graffiti is also another form of artwork that utilizes public space as a medium for expression. After the revolution this form of artistic expression covered the streets and walls of Egypt. Many of the works are produced as a form of expressing political dissent. This explosion was possible due to the collapse of the police state and a paradigm shift in what public space represents to the citizens of Egypt.


Screenings, drawing graffiti, and other street performances face enormous challenges in trying to utilize public space in a fight against a regime trying to regain control on how it can be used. Many times volunteers and participants were under grave physical threat.

Monday the 10th of June, we are going to discuss the grassroots means of expressions in the public space. We are hosting Kazeboun and Women on Walls as examples of means of resistance and expression in revolutionized public space and we will present a sample of their work.

Sally Thoma, co-founder Kazeboun, and Angie Balata, the managing director of Women on Walls, will be moderating the discussion.

The seminar is a part of a series called "Public Space Revolutionized" organized by the Right to the City and Public Space group and hosted by the EIPR (Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights).