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Mud, Minarets and Meaningless Events Jossa Gallery, Al Serkal Reseach Foundation, Dubai, 2022

In a recent iteration of The Loudspeaker and the Tower at Al Serkal's Jossa Space in Dubai in 2022, I presented Stairway to Heaven, The Parrot, a selection of research photographs from the project installed as newspaper zine towers, and delivered a performative lecture. The idea was to reveal to the audience the research process behind producing my forthcoming artist book Storm Over Cairo. In my lecture, I read an excerpt from the forthcoming book, which Edition Fink will publish at the end of 2024. Along with my creative editor for this publication, Georg Rutishauser, we chose the newspaper format because it captures the imprint of each reader's body after being read. This physical trace of interaction adds a unique, personal layer to each copy, transforming the newspapers from mere vessels of information into objects bearing the marks of individual engagement. This interaction mirrors the ways in which the urban landscape of Cairo, particularly the informal development of mosques, is shaped by the everyday actions and interventions of its inhabitants. Just as the newspapers accumulate the imprints of their readers, the city's structures and spaces bear the traces of human presence and activity, revealing a layered history of social, political, and personal dynamics.

In the context of The Loudspeaker and the Tower at Al Serkal's Jossa Space in Dubai in 2022, I presented , the choice of the newspaper is significant because the project explores themes of surveillance, control, and resistance, and the newspaper format—with its intimate, tactile quality—invites viewers to physically engage with the material, leaving their mark on it and becoming part of the narrative. Moreover, the association of newspapers with state media and propaganda adds another layer of meaning. By hacking this format to create an artist publication, I draw a parallel to how mosques, particularly those informally developed, use their loudspeakers to project their narratives, subverting official channels and creating alternative spaces of discourse. This choice underscores the project’s exploration of how public spaces and media can be co-opted to serve both hegemonic and counter-hegemonic purposes. Displaying the photographs printed in newspaper format and installed as towers of zines arranged in piles encourages viewers to physically interact with the work, take copies, and engage with the content in a direct, tangible way. This method not only makes the art accessible but also emphasizes the collective and participatory nature of the project, inviting the audience to become active participants in the exploration of these themes.