cairo | The lowly donkey was the star of a just-concluded weeklong Caravan Festival of the Arts in Cairo. The festival highlighted efforts to achieve freedom and religious tolerance after Egypt’s 2011 revolution.
More than 90 fiberglass donkeys created by 45 artists from around the world displayed messages of peace and tolerance. The festival linked Eastern and Western culture through the visual arts as well as literature, film and music, organizers said.
“Through this art initiative we are making a statement that the way forward in Egypt and in [Egypt’s] relationship with the rest of the world is ‘in peace and with compassion,’” organizers said, citing the exhibition’s theme.
The donkey was chosen to symbolize commonalities between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, where ties have been particularly strained in recent years. That might sound like a bit much for a donkey, but those planning and participating in the event think the four-legged creature was a great choice for the festival.
“I was delighted to hear about Caravan 2013’s theme and was even more excited about the choice of the donkey as its symbol,” said Ashraf Reda, one of the participating artists. “The donkey is very popular in Egypt, and is part of the day-to-day lives of many Egyptians in rural areas,” he said, adding that its presence in the arts in particular is “a common factor bridging Muslims and Christians.”
As the festival concludes, the life-size donkeys will be placed around Cairo in strategic spots such as universities and hotel lobbies, where they will remain for three weeks before 20 of them become part of what organizers call “a traveling interfaith exhibition” with stops in Europe and the United States.