WORK IN PROGRESS
Lost in translation*
Western female pedestrian in middle-eastern urbanism
on a map of Cairo created and kindly
shared by Ahmed Zaazaa, urban planer.
Chip-chip & chipsi
With no regard for the people who live there, major roads cut through the urban fabric, crushing everything on their way. People have to leave their homes, find ways of getting around and adapt to deteriorating living conditions.
I met Asem in his studio in the Ard El Lewa neighbourhood. His street is also home to Al Fabrika creativ Lab, a place where ideas, by people, for people, are implemented. During one of my visit, a little girl called Yara came in, all dressed in pink, barefoot, with a packet of crisps in her hand. She was funny, proud, with a bit of a cheeky attitude. From what I could gather from their exchange, it was about putting shoes on. She came back later walking with adultsize chip-chip.
This little girl comes and goes. She is known and safe. I thought of my neighbourhood in Switzerland, because same little stories happens there. What’s important everywhere are the bonds between people.
