Exhibition
Heba Y. Amin: When I see the future, I close my eyes
18 May 2020 – 06 Jun 2021
The Mosaic Rooms
London, United Kingdom
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Heba Y. Amin, Project Speak2Tweet, 2020, installation view. Courtesy of The Mosaic Rooms.
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Heba Y. Amin, Project Speak2Tweet: I’m the Son of the Nile, 2013, 2’43” Video Still. Courtesy of the artist.
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Heba Y. Amin, Project Speak2Tweet: My love for you, Egypt, increases by the day, 2011, 6'18'' Video Still. Courtesy of the artist.
Talk
Artist Presentation & Discussion | Egypt’s 2011 Internet Shutdown
28 Jan 2021
Regular hours
- Thu, 28 Jan
- 19:00 – 21:00
Timezone: Europe/London
Online
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- Language: English
- Join the event
On the 10th anniversary of the Egyptian internet shutdown, and in conversation with Abdelkarim Mardini, the co-developer of Speak2Tweet and Middle East media scholar Adel Iskandar, Heba Y. Amin revisits the importance of Speak2Tweet.
About
Egypt’s 2011 Internet Shutdown: Digital Dissent and the Future of Public Memory
On January 27, 2011, during the first days of Egypt’s uprising, the national government shut down the Internet to quash online dissent. To circumvent the blackout, programmers developed Speak2Tweet, a digital platform that allowed Egyptians to record voice messages by phone. Composed of thousands of audio recordings from those volatile days, these messages were automatically uploaded to Twitter, producing a unique archive of the collective Egyptian psyche during a time of unprecedented upheaval.
In light of escalating digital surveillance and censorship, all the more notable during the current pandemic, the panelists critically engage with the revolutionary promise once associated with social media platforms. What impact have advances in communication technologies had on the freedom of speech, dissent, and democracies worldwide? And what can be gleaned today from listening to these unrestrained voices recorded a decade ago this month?
The discussion is moderated by Anthony Downey.
Amin is currently working on an online platform to preserve this oral archive and maintain its vocal diversity. Project Speak2Tweet is part of Amin’s solo exhibition at The Mosaic Rooms When I see the future, I close my eyes.
