CAIRO: Newspaper clippings are not going to be the only record for the Jan. 25 Revolution. Given the role the internet played in the modern-day uprising, it is only fitting that numerous websites sprout to document the events, each in their own way.
I am Tahrir
One of the online products of the revolution is a website named “I am Tahrir,” which is founded by a group of young people.
“The idea for ‘I am Tahrir’ was very sporadic. During the revolution, we saw young artists breaking shackles by freely expressing their views through signs, graffiti, songs and humor. It was very refreshing,” explained one of the website’s founders, 29-year-old journalist Pakinam Amer.
“The revolution, even before Mubarak had stepped down, infused hope and optimism in many young people, and an almost compulsive desire to speak out.”
Amer opted to put together all the artwork for keepsake. “Once I announced my desire on Twitter to create an online exhibit, volunteers flooded me with messages of support. Immediately, we had a web developer, designers and artists willing to help pro-bono and a sponsor on board, one who owns spaces in Downtown [including galleries and a theater] where we can physically showcase the work,” Amer explained.
Working on the project alongside Amer are Farida Helmy, Amr Bassiouny, Marwan Imam, Hany Rashwan and Karim Shafei.
The project’s vision extends beyond collecting the art produced during or inspired by the January 25 Revolution; it aspires to be a hub for “revolutionary art” from across the world, “a place where the hands of art censors and staunch conservatives cannot reach,” according to Amer.
“We’d like to display and encourage art that is revolutionary and iconoclastic in nature, art that pushes boundaries and breaks stereotypes,” she said, “Art that’s outside of the box, if you will. And it doesn’t have to be related to Egypt.”
The group are currently working on both the website IamTahrir.com and their first event, whose date will be announced on their Facebook page, “I am Tahrir: The Art of Revolution,” soon.
On the long run, they also aim to support young artists and causes related to art, both financially and through providing a platform for them.
18 Days in Egypt
“We Egyptians found our voice on Jan. 25, and we want to continue using it to tell the shared story of the revolution. We want to capture the very spirit of the revolution – it’s everyone’s story, it’s everyone’s history,” explained Yasmine Elayat, an interaction designer and developer, and part of the team of “18 Days in Egypt,” which includes Alaa Al Dajani, a filmmaker, Ahmed El Laithy, and Jigar Mehta, a filmmaker and journalist.
18DaysInEgypt.com is a crowd-sourced interactive documentary project of the events from Jan. 25 to Feb. 11. “We want everyone to have a say in documenting the history of the revolution – everyone is documenting the history of Egypt and everyone is a filmmaker in this project. We are only building the tools to help facilitate that,” explained Elayat.
The idea of the website was conceived during the celebrations on Feb. 11 when ousted president Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
Mehta noticed how people were filming the celebrations using their phones and cameras. The idea behind the website was to have a forum for everyone to tell their story of the Jan. 25 revolution.
“Everyone took pictures, video, or wrote [texts] and updates to Twitter and Facebook. Why not collect them all to tell the collective history of our revolution?” he said.
“We are asking everyone to submit their stories, photos and videos using the same tools that helped share the revolution with the world in real-time,” said Elayat.
The submissions will be incorporated into an interactive documentary on the website. “We also plan on making a 90-minute film about the process and the best submissions,” she noted.
Now, three weeks after the website was launched, they have received about 500-600 submissions. The team aims at receiving thousands of submissions.
I was in Tahrir
Another website set up to record history through the people’s perspective is ‘I was in Tahrir.’ It is produced by Pulse and Icon Creations, a full-service creative agency. The initiative is designed to allow visitors to “leave their mark” in history, also dubbed “An online Million Man March,” according to the website.
On IwasinTahrir.com, people can upload pictures of themselves during the revolution.
“If this project succeeds in tracking everyone who was in Tahrir Square or any of the liberation squares around Egypt during the revolution we could make it to the Guinness Book of Records; every single one of us is a proud Egyptian,” stated the website.
I am Jan. 25
IamJan25.com is a media library, an archive of all the relevant videos and pictures of the revolution. The website’s content includes for example Wael Ghonim’s interview with Mona El Shazly that was considered a turning point in the revolution, as well as different songs and Youtube clips.
Egypt Remembers
The website “Egypt Remembers” was set up as an online memorial for the martyrs who lost their lives during the revolution at 1000memories.com/egypt.
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A screen grab image shows 18 Days in Egypt’s homepage.
