CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

The use of graffiti in the context of the Egyptian revolution offered us an ideal case study for unpacking the structures and dynamics of resistance. In so doing, we proposed a general framework that considers resistance as a situated act bringing together various social actors—in our case graffiti painters, authorities and the general public—related through their engagement with a series of contentious issues. Importantly, we wanted to underline the dynamic character of this model and consider the temporal unfolding of the dialogues between actors as reflected in the graffiti produced by both sides and its evolution across time. The fieldwork presented above sheds light on these processes, and it allows us to return to and qualify our initial description of resistance as (1) a social and individual phe- nomenon; (2) a constructive process that articulates continuity and change; and (3) an act oriented towards an imagined future of different communities.

First and foremost, resistance appears in our study as both a deeply personal act and one that requires and works with the means of the collective. Moreover, individual

and group acts of resistance cannot be separated from the larger, his- torical picture of social movements within a given society. In our case, resistance graffiti is rendered intelligible by the different stages of the uprising in Egypt. Its development resonates with what happened during the 2011 revolution and the state of despair following an initial outburst of social activism. Activists and artists went from the spotlight into occupying the position of a persecuted minority. The sur- vival of this minority may well depend on its capacity to be consistent and to make continuous efforts aimed at challenging hegemonic representations and practices within society (see Moscovici, 1976). They must also prove to be flexible and sensitive to changing social circumstances. The ways in which graffiti painters adapted to changing realities are worth contemplating.

Second, the production and reception of resistance graffiti expresses constructive and generative processes within society. The art of resistance we discuss here is not only seen in graffiti in Egypt; just like the revolution got people into the street, it transformed a significant portion of society: from art galleries to the walls of the city, from gated clubs to running groups and live street performances proclaiming streets of Egypt, in addition to creative forms of expression on social media such as political satire, comics and prisoners’ letters and poems. In all these forms of expression there is resistance, resisting political power, social practices, capitalism, or class and gender divisions.

This observation leads us to the third conclusion, pointing to the deep connection between resistance acts and future-making. It might be premature to talk about the outcome of the Egyptian revolution at this point in time; however, we can confi- dently say that its artistic forms of resistance coming from different groups within the Egyptian society did play a major role in the cultural dynamics of the society.

The comments and reflections of graffiti painters presented here are permeated by dreams of and for the future, even when they appear to us sarcastic or hopeless.

There is an underlying altruistic dimension inherent to acts of resistance, and this dimension relates to the resistants’ orientation towards a collective future.

As a final note, the Egyptian uprising is commonly considered to be facilitated by social media. Social media facilitated the creation of new social identities that challenged the social order (McGarty et al., 2013) and facilitated the mobilization of youth in protests (Tillinghast et al., 2012). On the ground, other forms of resistance also transformed the revolutionary goals from activists connected online to the general public. In all these, street art played a key role. However, to point out social media or street art as major factors in the resistance in Egypt and its uprising would undermine the real struggle and aspirations of those calling for change and those who lost their lives in the streets. Graffiti, like social media, are tools in the hand of people who oppose dominant representations, practices and institutions; in order to fully understand their role, we need to consider how and what they are meant to

accomplish—in other words, the kinds of change they inspire, facilitate and ultimately bring forth.

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CHAPTER 5. DOCUMENTING A

CONTESTED MEMORY: SYMBOLS IN