Out-arting the art with artful narrative does not, ultimately, do anything for the actual artwork in space.
The increasing gap between Egypt’s intellectual elite and the people is explained and lampooned
After losing his friend and partner in one of the almost daily explosions that hit Baghdad, the greedy antiques dealer Hadi al-Attak begins to collect body parts from bombsites around…
1. Drug references Egypt is a country famous for its piety and conservatism. Television is watched by millions of young people — especially in the Muslims’ precious month of fasting…
The open rusty lock on the dusty gigantic old door of the first-floor apartment of 6B Qasr al-Nil Street seems to signal a dead-end for downtown publishing house Merit. But…
Taha Belal’s debut solo show at Gypsum Gallery feels more like a retrospective than a debut solo show. Many of the series presented, with their multiplicity of subject matter, media,…
A film about a convertible driving through explosions, except the convertible is an unemployed youth with a broken leg
On a film about a celebratory act of civil disobedience.
Mohannad Galal has infiltrated the lines of state-serving civilians, seen aiding the military and police in confrontations with protesters and attacking anti-regime demonstrations.
The long room of Estoril roars with conversation. The booths along the left side of the weathered downtown Cairo restaurant are filled with regular patrons, crumpled suits sit along the…
The second time I met Michael C. Vazquez was the first time I heard that Lotus, the Journal of Afro-Asian Writings, had been published out of Cairo.
Why do people make movies like Rice City, Andeel wonders.
For months now, Hany Rashed has been fascinated with the possibilities of plastic. He tried, at first, painting on plastic sheets. But that didn’t give him the effect he wanted. When he heated…
Ursula Lindsey's thoughtful piece on freedom of movement in Palestine and the importance of the annual literary festival there.
On certain momentous days, only three men know the headline of the flagship state newspaper Al-Ahram before it is sent to the printers. Even the layout designers remain in the…
After experiencing The Surface of Spectral Scattering, you’re unsure whether to think of the universe as infinitely big, or about yourself as insignificantly small.
It wasn’t always this way: 15 years ago, the alternative music scene was dominated by guitar-based bands playing progressive rock and heavy metal.
Renowned comedian Samir Ghanem says just one line: “Which bus goes to hell?”
Filmmakers, performers and musicians in Egypt tread a fine line. A creative work must not advocate atheism, criticize Muslim, Christian or Jewish beliefs or approve of “sorcery.” It cannot depict…
Badiaa Bouhrizi lingers around backstage, warmly greeting fans lined up outside the curtains following her concert at Al-Azhar Park’s Geneina Theater in May. The fans, in their late teens and early twenties, ask for autographs and selfies,…
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