"The Revolution of Light": Egyptian Protesters Create a Defiant Festival of the Arts in Tahrir Square (ARTINFO)

ARTINFO - As Egyptian protesters dig in at Tahrir Square for a "Week of Steadfastness" against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak,
poetry, theater, and even visual arts have become a tool to maintain
spirits. The outburst of impromptu culture in the heart of the uprising —
in which pro-Mubarak thugs have used concern for the country's ancient
heritage, and chants of "no more vandalism," as pretexts for savage
assaults — provides a glimpse into a society where free expression, long
bottled under the dictatorship, has become suddenly uncorked. 

In one instance, protester Hatem Abdel Razek created an impromptu experiment in interactive art while living in the Square for the last thirteen days, making a
giant portrait of Mubarak with trash bag hair and vampire fangs.
"Everyone protests in the way that they are comfortable with, and this
is what I am comfortable with," Abdel Razek told the Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum.
"I am here because I can be here, because Mubarak, bless him, has made
it possible for me to be here by keeping me unemployed for the past
seven years."