These Are the Tools of the Present

This publication comprises a series of interviews with contemporary artists, musicians, and writers who are in dialogue with Beirut and Cairo. While not purporting to be an overview of the art scenes in these cities, this book begins to draw a picture of how artists think about what it means to be active in these contexts. It offers insight into the circumstances that structured these artists’ stories, and the often accidental influences that have shaped how their practices have developed.