‘The 25th of January 2011 was the most special day of my life. It was a moment when life froze, and it was only about the present moment. An overwhelming moment of glory and excitement. A day that all my ideal concepts and abstract beliefs were represented in reality and had form, sound, texture, and smell.’
The 25th of January 2011 was the first of 18 days that changed power relations in Egypt. Omar Kashmiry, living in Cairo as an architecture student at the time, took part in the demonstrations around Tahrir Square that were a decisive step in what we now know as the Arab Spring. In a very personal conversation he talks about his experiences, perceptions and motivations, about how incidents become a chain of events, about home, media, and the notion of the collective.
Interviewed by Bas van den Hout and Olaf Winkler.
Photo: Ezz Monem
This piece is part of a series with interviews, readings, and other sound pieces which are regularly published on this site. More info on Level Five via www.levelfive.brussels
