Cairo art exhibition displays the ‘Ugly Feelings’ of Egypt’s revolution

A recent exhibition held at Cairo’s Townhouse Gallery art space aims to shed light on the different emotions displayed by Egyptian people during times of political instability, reported Ahram Online.

The organizers of the show, entitled “Ugly Feelings,” seek to respond to what they call the “state of helplessness” among Egyptians, stimulated by the political turmoil which followed the 2011 uprising, according to the website.

Since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has been plagued by insecurity and a worsening economy.

Many of the artworks showcased at the exhibition involved digital interaction, using videos and incorporating computer activities to reflect the range of emotions that have gripped the public, Ahram Online reported.

“The pieces weren’t selected to create a specific narrative and collectively might feel a bit incoherent, but I think this is also sort of the point of the show [which],” Townhouse curator and exhibition coordinator Ania Szremski said. The exhibition “communicates a certain irritation and dissatisfaction common to the present moment,” she added.

The exhibition also played a number of videos that Szremski collected from around the Internet.

“I was interested in intermingling digital artworks with other kinds of visual material circulating through those same networks that are dismissed as silly, trashy, kitsch or amateur, but also reveal something about culture and mood,” she told Ahram Online.