Architect/Artist Mohamed Gohar at his latest exhibition.... Photo by Amira Noshokaty
“The place is known by its people,” goes the local proverb, and indeed it is.
A city's heritage is founded on its streets. That’s what architect and artist Mohamed Gohar's latest exhibition was all about. The founder of the Description of Alexandria digital platform, which he created in 2013 to document the cultural heritage of his city, is this year presenting an exhibition on the impact of people on the intangible cultural heritage of two cities: Alexandria and Marseille.
Part of the Mediterranean Season French Festival, the exhibition, held a few weeks ago at the French Cultural Centre in Alexandria, highlighted the essence of heritage and the common ground between the two Mediterranean cities.
No comparison
“Alexandria is an active agent in the Mediterranean due to its para-diplomacy, which is part of my master’s, focusing on how diplomacy moves culture. It started in Egypt a long time ago, and Alexandria is one of the pioneer cities,” Gohar told Ahram Online.
“Since I am a resident in both cities [Marseille and Alexandria], I have an ongoing research project on the two cities, and the idea is to tell the tale of the elements of urban planning that create both cities without comparing them. The idea, which is my research, is to detect how human activities are formed, and how collective behaviour and collective memory work together to create the modern city,” he explained.
Gohar pointed out that his paintings highlight the impact of people on the city, their marks on it, be it positive or negative; if you erase them, it would be very difficult to identify the city.
Four meters of self-expression
“Here I am discussing the high urban density of both cities, and I show that the city is not defined by its architectural icons; heritage happens in the little space between those buildings. The whole district is called an urban heritage landscape. The street is the hero of the city, especially when we are talking about a historic district. This is where people gather and where all experiences unfold, whether expected—like going down the street knowing I will meet someone—or unexpected, like meeting someone I do not know and interacting,” he explained.
“If I took off such human impact, there would be no city; it would be a museum. And when you take away what is perceived by decision-makers as chaos and trash, it wouldn’t be clear whether it is Alexandria or Marseille, because the four metres below are the people’s expression, it’s life, it’s the accumulation of history. Above that, the next four metres are the height of the shops, social expressions. If you want to really read the city, this is where those expressions are,” Gohar added.
The street as a living room
“This painting is called ‘A Living Room’. Here, I am saying that the street is not only a passage or a third place between destinations; it is also our meeting point. It is the living room of the whole society, across all classes. Even if you are upper class, at some point the street becomes your living room; where you meet loved ones, whether to share a ride, stand together, or simply drink tea. The majority of people spend time on the street, sitting in local cafés. The street is a place where people act freely, whether in Egypt or Marseille, in the way they feel comfortable, like this man, who is sitting on the street, but from his large window,” he notes.
“The street is the third place, where you go to breathe and detach from the responsibilities of home and work,” he concluded.
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