Diaries of An Artist

Diaries of An Artist

My name is May El Hossamy, I’m an artist and photographer. I've been working on the Souq El Goma (Friday Market) photography project for 2 years now.

I often went to the Souq, walking past very random collections of items for sale. There was always something about souq el goma that was bringing me back again and again. Visually there was something very attractive about this place. The variety of products, people, and the smells was striking. It was always hard to comeback.

Having a big camera in the middle of this atmosphere isn't the easiest thing. Some people didn't want to be photographed; they thought I was a journalist documenting the wrong things happening in the market. Some other people needed just a word to feel comfortable. Some other people wanted to be photographed. So I had to use instinct to feel who will react how. Who needs to be asked for a photo and who didn't. The experience was worth the hard time I was having sometimes there. There were food, objects, furniture, animals, electronic machines, clothes and so many little pieces of broken dolls, phones and anything you'd imagine and not imagine. From the first time I visited this place I knew I was going to come back, but I never knew that it would be prolonged over two years.

A month ago, the market caught fire. It is a tragedy as the area under Kobry El Tonsy where the souq lies has a long history, and many people lived and worked there. Many antiques were destroyed by the fire and a great deal of people lost their homes and livelihood.

I went after everything has burnt, to take photos. People mistook me for a journalist like they always did, only this time they wanted to talk to me, this time they needed to be seen and heard. They needed to talk about their loss, lack of governmental support, and how the authorities ordered them to leave this area and go to Khamastashar Mayo, a city next to Helwan. I was there to listen, and I suddenly found myself no longer taking photos, but making a film.
 

This body of work is made up of three parts. Photography, showing the market before and after the fire; a video, of 12 minutes documenting my relationship with the souk, and showing the people talking about the tragedy they are living in since the market went on fire, and since the authorities ordered them to leave this area and go to city of Khamastashar Mayo. The exhibition is accompanied by an installation made out of burnt objects collected from the remains of the souq.

 

The exhibition is till the 19th of September, it's opened every day from 10 to 10 and, Thursdays are off. Friday from 4 to 10.

Address

Darb 1718 Kasr El Sham3 Street

Al Fakhareen – Old Cairo

Behind the Hanging Church and Amr Mosque

Tel.:  +2 23 610 511