artists     stories    image-search     news    contact

Tahrir Disobedience

© Charles Thiefaine

Tarmac torn off, a charred tuk-tuk and burning tires all over the floor, this is a real theatre of war. Demonstrators and police have been clashing night and day since October the first. Each time a tear gas canister is fired, the young Baghdadis run back to adjacent streets. The young protesters, armed with slingshots and molotov cocktails, attempt to reach the Al Ahrar bridge : it is one of the routes leading to the green zone, an ultra secured district including the embassies and the country’s main institutions. Facing them, the regular authorities supported by militiamen, they are firing live bullets and are using expired and heavy gas grenades. These "skull-breaks" according to Amnesty International’s words, are responsible for most of the victims. More than 600 deaths and approximately 20 000 casualties have been reported. The many pictures of martyrs displayed in Tahrir square are another evidence.


In the series Tahrir Disobedience, Charles Thiefaine explores the ambivalent postures of the youth of Tahrir while they are tackling such violence. He tries to give a subjective answer to one inquiry : How are they investing these spaces that have become so hostile? Georges Bataille described power as "the vast movement of excessiveness". These photographs reflect the stillness and power coexisting in this new territory.

click to view the complete set of images in the archive

Institute Artist is redefining how stories are produced and told. Representing auteur-driven storytellers, we bring together talent across commercials, photography, fine art, and film. Founded by Matt Shonfeld and Frank Evers. Institute Artists multi-platform production expertise, and established global relationships in entertainment, fine art, and journalism make for unmatched reach and cross-pollination of creative work. Institute Artist has been a leading advocate of the power of underrepresented talent and is fully committed to bringing these authentic voices to our clients by helping them tell compelling and entertaining stories that better connect with their audiences.