Abstract
The role of photography and social media have been seen as pivotal to the Egyptian political uprisings of 2011 where icons of the revolution circulated widely, helped galvanize protesters, and documented key events against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting discourse of photojournalism. By examining the citizen-produced image of the ‘girl with the blue’ in its capacity to reflect the spatial-temporal dynamics of the revolution, to mediate complex social issues of gender and political visibility, and to contribute to the development of cultural memory role through contemporary street art, this essay uncovers the significance of an icon in the digital age.
Highlights
12 The horror of the scene unfolds as swarms of security officers rushThe image invites a new kind of civic participation while cultivating a space through which to frame a different set of questions related to iconicity, affect, and agency
The role of photography and social media have been seen as pivotal to the Egyptian political uprisings of 2011 where icons of the revolution circulated widely, helped galvanize protesters, and documented key events against the backdrop of a rapidly shifting discourse of photojournalism
In the days following mass demonstrations that would eventually lead to the 2011 Egyptian political revolution, many mainstream media reports claimed the influence of social media as the primary catalyst spurring thousands into the streets to protest
Summary
The image invites a new kind of civic participation while cultivating a space through which to frame a different set of questions related to iconicity, affect, and agency Facilitated both through social and mainstream platforms, the image’s widespread virtual presence, eluded the kind of state-sponsored strategies of censorship that would have constrained or banned it in print but resulted in a public reckoning of gender codes within Egyptian political and social life. In Kraidy’s view, technology plays a prominent role in circulating challenges to authority, it is the human body that remains the “indispensable political medium.” The image’s digital nature of dissemination has a direct impact on its social function by challenging norms governing print media, complicating traditional, patriarchal interpretations, and revealing the revolutionary capacities of visual culture
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