We came across two brilliant, proactive and very creative initiatives: Coloring a Grey City and Cairo Dish Painting, both transforming Cairo’s messy rooftops and concrete ugliness into quirky, artsy affairs.

Coloring a Grey City calls for people to color their satellite dishes to make a more beautiful Cairo skyskape while Coloring a Grey City go around the streets of Egypt and turn the rather dull concrete into such lively works of art.

Coloring a Grey City was founded in August 2014 by a group of art students from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek that are set to graduate in 2017. “We strongly believe that ‘If you want to see the change, be the change,’ so since our passion in life is all about colors, we decided that our city needs some brightness in its streets,” the group said on their Facebook group.

 

So far, they have painted various areas around Cairo; including the Balllon Theatre and the Kitkat staircases of 15th of May bridge, the pedestrian staircase Al Sab’ in Ramsis, stairways of the Faculty of Commerce in Ain Shams University, the Farouk Bridge walls in Maadi, stairways in Helwan University, stairways in Stabl Antar and the wall of the KitKat bus stop.

“Our dream is to see the whole country in colors but we can’t do that alone so please start where you are add a touch of color to your city and see the change in people’s lives,” is the group’s message.

Follow @coloringthegreycity on Instagram to stay up to date with their latest colours that will brighten up your day.

The Cairo Dish-Painting Initiative was launched by Jason Stoneking in cooperation with the Artellewa Art Space in 2014.

“That the citizens of this vibrant city would help brighten their skyline, and announce to the world that the signals of hope, happiness, and free expression are the ones that they want to receive,” is what the initiative hopes to achieve.