Cityscapes in the White Desert
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.)
Tags: buildings, cityscape, minneapolis art on wheels, projection, white desert