El Seed’s TED Talk about his Perception project in the Manshiyat Naser district of Cairo is now live. The artist, who recently moved his permanent studio to Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue can be seen explaining the motivation behind the project that took place in March. It was arguably his most ambitious project to date as it saw him painting his mural over 50 buildings in the heavily built up area. It was also his most emotional – during the 11 minute talk, he sheds a few tears when talking about the underlying mission behind this particular mural, which was to spread peace and to alter people’s perception about this area and its people.
Manshiyat Naser is the home of a largely Coptic community who recycle most of Cairo’s garbage in an incredibly efficient system. Because of this, they are known as the Zabaleen (people of the rubbish) but as eL Seed explains in this talk, it is perhaps the people of the city who should be known as the Zabaleen, as they produce the rubbish.
If you follow this blog, you will know I am a huge fan of eL Seed's art and the work he does. I highly recommend you watch this video and follow his projects at elseed-art.com
