"Cafe Cairo" was a participatory installation originally inspired by the paintings of Austrian artist Ludwig Deutsch. However, the aesthetic of this coffee in public space challenges the image of the East that the West, and the aforementioned painter, systematically reproduce. Cafe Cairo offered free coffee and a space for relaxation and reading during the gallery's opening hours. The graffiti images on the installation were created by Egyptian graffiti artists Bahia Shehab, Bassem Yousri, Hend Kheera, and El Teneen. The installation grew out of research on graffiti from the Arab Spring in Cairo. During the exhibition period, Cafe Cairo hosted a series of talks, film screenings, and workshops on anti-racism, freedom of expression, and gender rights, led by Susanne Jalka, Manuela Picallo Gil, Simon Inou, Carolin Vonbank, and Carlos Toledo. Photo: Oscar Cueto.