‘ALATOOL: Straight ahead, always
This is an invitation to participate in ‘ALATOOL: Straight ahead, always, a long walk in Cairo.
I dreamed that I was walking in a city that was simultaneously Chicago and Cairo. At first, I saw my city. As I continued walking, I began to see the city that had been hidden from me: the city I had avoided, the city that belonged to others, the city to which I had made myself blind. These were the same city; they were different cities.
The city exists only when it is experienced; it is a place made by people living it. The lives of urban residents typically follow repetitive patterns of movement. From home to office, from office to food shop, from food shop to school, from school to home, for example, I engrave a rectangle in which my life occurs. ‘ALATOOL breaks the shape to reveal a new geography of the city, the geography of the experienced city.
For each individual, the city is a differently experienced space. ‘ALATOOL invites individuals to transform the city by creating a new, collective experience.
‘ALATOOL will occur in segments over the course of three months: February, March, and April 2010. The length of each segment will be as long as the participants continue; the route, stops, and activities will be determined by collective desire and encounters on the walk. The first walk begins in the heart of my Cairo, the former home of my grandparents in Al-Manyal on Roda Island. Subsequent walks will begin at the previous walk’s ending point.
Should you like to participate in this project, please leave a comment below with the dates you might be available. Start time is negotiable, but I ask that you have a clear schedule for at least five hours after we begin. Don’t forget to enter your email!
Follow the ongoing map of the project here.
I hope you get some takers!