The desert challenges the notions of space and time as we define them in relation to the urban setting. We navigate space with a focus on the self; the built environment is a manifestation of the human mind, so the correlation between man and his built environment is unavoidable. There is undoubtedly a complex interlaced relationship between man and the city and, as some scholars suggest, impossibility in disassociating man from his built surroundings despite its isolating tendencies. The desert, on the other hand, challenges how we interpret and interact with our surroundings where the narrative of the self is completely void. Humans become an imposition on such a space and are no longer central to its identity.

Arriving at the desert from a city like Cairo where free space is a contradiction in terms instigates a sort of shock to the body; the lack of clarity on the confines of space and time challenges our understanding of scale and, as a result, confuses our role in space. The desert then becomes an overwhelming environment that humbles our egos. Add to that the surreal visuals of the White Desert and you find yourself in a space that is truly disorienting, almost frightening.

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The White Desert setting could not be more conducive for exploring these issues of space, time, scale, and identity (not to mention the logistical conveniences of the white rock surfaces and light-pollution-free environment which make it a projection playground). Imposing the mechanization of the city through visual projection allows for a clash of concepts, a layering of contradictory emotions that force us to understand our relationship with space. Simplistic looping animations simultaneously depict an old-fashioned notion of industrial progress and its dehumanizing mechanical quality. The drawings are architectural in concept but with peculiarities that contradict the accuracy and perspective of a structured drawing. The linear marks sometimes shift perspective or disrupt dimension and realism. The intentionally visible ink marks give presence to the hand or the human touch and play with the friction between the city as man-made and the city as machine. Superimposed on the desert’s rock formations, the stark black and white drawings become something out of a science fiction film that transform the landscape into an eerie space.

Cityscapes in the White Desert from Heba Amin on Vimeo.

The trip was made in conjunction with members of Minneapolis Art on Wheels (www.minneapolisartonwheels.org) a Minneapolis based art group which utilizes large-scale projections in public space.

(Live projections by Heba Amin, Ali Momeni, and Jenny Schmid. Sound by Marc Fantini.)

I think more along the lines of “lethargic and defeated”. After having been away for so long and coming back, I find extremely alarming the sense of resignation amongst people in this city. People seem to have given up.

   http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/world/middleeast/18egypt.html

Read Norma Smith Olson’s article “Powerful Portraits: Heba Amin gives faces to extraordinary Muslim women“.

“Halide Edib Adivar, Umm Kulthum, Arwa bint Ahmed al-Sulayhiyya, and Shirin Ebadi are names that may be unfamiliar to many in the United States. They are four women-a scholar, a musician, a queen and a Nobel Peace Prize winner-portrayed in the recently released book, “Extraordinary Women from the Muslim World.” 

It was a learning experience for this month’s cover artist Heba Amin, who painted 11 portraits for the book. “That’s what made this project exciting for me. It exposed me to these amazing women, many that I didn’t know about,” Amin said. In her research for the paintings, she found few pictures of the women. She had the challenge of conceptualizing their images-the perfect project for a women artist who focuses on the intellectual power of art.” [more]

Read my article “Fragmented City: Visualizing the City-Psyche Relationship of Cairo” included in this Spring’s online edition. The article is a condensed version of my thesis research.

Fragmented City photo

Abstract: Fragmented City seeks to address the urban landscape of Cairo and its emotional impact on its inhabitants. The visual characteristics of the city display the deterioration of urban life where masses of abandoned and haphazard structures attest to the government’s laissez-faire attitude in dealing with urban planning. As inhabitable structures take up space and resources, inhabitants of the city begin to clash, rather than coexist with their built environment.

I have explored visual re-interpretations of fragments of the city by translating and relocating visual information through various media. These visual manifestations attempt to portray an emotional experience and perspective of the current political and social climate of the region. I am working from the hypothesis that Cairo’s urban landscape negatively impacts the psyche and plays a significant role in influencing behavior. My visual explorations move from photography, to drawing, to web based environments, installation and projection work. By immersing the viewer in a particular environment, each visual displacement constitutes a re-assessment of scale and visual engagement intended to elicit sensations comparable to those experienced in physical space.

The 2009 Spring edition of the Journal of the New Media Caucus focuses on the theme “Foreignness and Translation in New Media“. Edited by Pat Badani, “The collected essays in this edition provide a thought-provoking expansion on the themes of “foreignness” and “translation”, subjects habitually explored through the lens of identity. The edition expands the discourse to examine different kinds of identifications, translations and geographies – opening up personal, cultural, physical and conceptual definitions. The essays explore the ways evolving technologies are being used by cultural practitioners to re-interpret and incorporate these notions.”

Read Jeff Strickler’s Article “Putting a Face on Role Models” in the Star Tribune.

Minneapolis artist Heba Amin didn’t have to be asked twice if she wanted to illustrate a book on female Muslim heroes. Not only was it a chance to get a paycheck from her art after a decade spent earning three college degrees, but it was a project she wholeheartedly embraced.

“I’m very aware of cultural stereotypes,” she said. “The image of Muslim women in the United States is of veiled, oppressed people who have no voice. But in fact, Muslim women have a long history of remarkable achievements.” [more]

“Artist Heba Amin Explores Her Egyptian Heritage in America”
http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/October/20081003125506maduobbA4.618472e-02.html?CP.rss=true

The article also debuted in America.gov’s publication, “Being Muslim in America“. Read the article “Young Muslims Make Their Mark: Artist Heba Amin“.

A glum outlook on the future of a city.

http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12202321

“This is not like London or New York, or even Tehran, another car-clogged Middle Eastern capital. It is literally like living day in and day out with a lawn mower running next to your head, according to scientists with the National Research Center. They spent five years studying noise levels across the city and concluded in a report issued this year that the average noise from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. is 85 decibels, a bit louder than a freight train 15 feet away, said Mustafa el Sayyid, an engineer who helped carry out the study.”

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/14/africa/14cairo.php

Yet another example of failed architectural investments in Egypt:

Two photographers reveal images of Sinai resorts that never quite made it. And now, just like many other projects all over Egypt, they are abandoned concrete structures.

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/hotels-in-afterlife.html