Hijabizing Graffiti

In this week's class, we discussed about cultural resistance and used Banksy's example to showcase cultural resistance. For this particular blog post, I will be analyzing the work of another graffiti artist, Princess Hijab, from the perspective of culture resistance.

So, who is Princess Hijab? Some refer her as the muslim sister version of Banksy while others claim her to be the founder of hijabism movement. Princess Hijab is an anonymous 20-year-old guerilla street artist based in Paris, who began her “noble cause” of attempting to hijabise advertisements in 2006. She does this by using spray paint and a black marker to cover women’s faces and bodies in ads, or by pasting “hijab” over models displayed in posters and billboards in the streets of Paris. However, it is unknown whether she wears a hijab or if she is even a Muslim.


Her profile page on Art Review states that, "Princess Hijab explores notions of space and possible types of representation, contrasting the normative representations of the public sphere with her personal iconoclastic approach […] She is known for her subversive work within the public space and for her “diy” and “grrl” attitude." She had initially started her work as a way of resisting the mainstream and sexist consumerist culture. In other words, the advertising culture is the dominant/ parent culture and the hijabized graffiti art is the subculture. Many people have also associated her art as way of expressing against the hijab ban in France. However, in one of her rare online interviews, she mentions," My work is nothing to do with the veil ban in France. I’ve repeatedly stated: No, that is not my message, neither in the form, nor in the content of my stuff. I started working in 2005 [before the ban was imposed] on top of that.The content of my art is more directly related to our archetypes, to the collective unconsciousness, our intimate reactions, to the closed space of the Metro and the street."







Cultural resistance comprises of 4 forms - content, form, interpretation and activity. The content of the message is aimed to attract people’s attention to what usually is unnoticeable For example, by drawing niqab on billboard models, Princess Hijab has attracted the world’s attention to the wall. Secondly, for this case, street art is the means (the medium) for culture resistance. According to her," Street art is how I build my universe, giving form to my imaginary representations. Paris - the city, the identities, fashion and society- it offers me nearly inexhaustible inspiration. It nourishes my urban expression". The interpretation part is related to the society and how they interpret the modern mainstream and consumerist culture. Activity refers to the art of graffiti, in this case, the black spray paint symbolizing the veil on poster models that attracts the attention towards those ads.





At the beginning, her art received negative reactions in the public. But now, however, Prince Hijab's guerrilla street art has gained widespread popularity and has been featured at several art exhibitions, including one in Norway recently.

Star Academy vs. Big Brother: Al-Rais

In the red corner we have Big Brother (Al-Rais). Never having reached its first round of evictions. In the blue corner we have Star Academy that has completed its eighth season. The winner is clearly the latter, having been a success across the Arab region. After reading the chapter by Kraidy I began to wonder why both reality programs, that are similar in more ways than they are different got different responses.

Having briefly watches some of the original Big Brother series from Europe and America I began to wonder why on Earth it actually got picked up in the Arab world. The concept itself was very Western, so much so that it went against the traditional values and norms of the largely Muslim audience. It isn’t the idea of having an Arabic version of a show that is problematic. It’s the actual premise and nature of the show.



Largely the audiences of the original shows tuned in to see what sexual relations were going on and to see the latest explicit argument. The contestants on the western show drink, casually have sex, and bear all (literally) to the world. Those are the three aspects of it that attract the viewers. Strip all that away and you’ll have a group of strangers living in a house. Why would anyone want to watch no drama?
Star Academy on the other hand, still had its fair share of criticism and resistance. However, it was still very similar to the actual format of the original French show Star Academy. It’s singing competition that has contestants living in a house and performing to a live audience for votes. It isn’t all based on personality, and there is a purpose for being in the same house. True, people do tend to tune in to see what the contestants are doing in the house, and to see what love triangles are forming. It's still a show that is able to use a bit of the Big Brother concept minus the excessive nudity.



Now, both shows came out at around the same time: late 2003, and early 2004. One based in Lebanon, and the other in Bahrain. Both shows received a lot of criticism and weren’t expected to succeed, and it was true for one of them. The kiss in Bahrain is probably what ended it for Big Brother. I’m sure there have been kisses on Star Academy, but I find it unlikely that they’d have the same protests as in Bahrain. It is only because they are two different cultures.



I personally see that Star Academy was produced in the right place at the right time with the right concept. Big Brother might have worked if it took place in present day Lebanon. It’s interesting to see how one show gains success and another doesn’t. There has to be more to the format of Big Brother than a group of people living in a house in order for it to be successful. Reality TV works when there’s drama, and in the case of Big Brother there was definitely drama, just not from the actual content of the show.