The Loudspeaker and the Tower Zine mobile

The zine was designed by Ahmad Hammoud and riso printed at Vide Press.

Photo Credits Quentin Mitchell.

The Loudspeaker and the Tower Zine 2019

The zine in The Loudspeaker and the Tower intertwines historical, environmental, agricultural, and socio-political themes, focusing on the informal development of mosques on agricultural land. It opens with a poetic reflection on the Nile’s significance in ancient Egypt and its central role in farming. The narrative then shifts to cotton’s commercial value and traces historical changes in land ownership, from ancient times to British occupation, emphasizing consolidation, peasant displacement, and the rise of commercial agriculture. It also addresses the Aswan Dam’s impact—loss of nutrient-rich silt, salinization, and community displacement—alongside urbanization’s pressures in Cairo. Poetic references to Egyptian beliefs and the Nile crocodile deepen the narrative, contrasting ancient rituals with modern issues of displacement and agricultural change. The zine juxtaposes past and present, examining Egypt’s evolving relationship with land, construction, and food production.

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The Loudspeaker and the Tower Zine 2019

The zine in The Loudspeaker and the Tower intertwines historical, environmental, agricultural, and socio-political themes, focusing on the informal development of mosques on agricultural land. It opens with a poetic reflection on the Nile’s significance in ancient Egypt and its central role in farming. The narrative then shifts to cotton’s commercial value and traces historical changes in land ownership, from ancient times to British occupation, emphasizing consolidation, peasant displacement, and the rise of commercial agriculture. It also addresses the Aswan Dam’s impact—loss of nutrient-rich silt, salinization, and community displacement—alongside urbanization’s pressures in Cairo. Poetic references to Egyptian beliefs and the Nile crocodile deepen the narrative, contrasting ancient rituals with modern issues of displacement and agricultural change. The zine juxtaposes past and present, examining Egypt’s evolving relationship with land, construction, and food production.