IT’S JUST A PLASTIC
CHAIR NORAN MEHDI ABDULLAH AGEEL
PROCESS BOOK
PROJECT STATEMENT ‘KURSI PLASTIC’, is the name of my project. This project consists of a book and short film. Both aim to illustrate a unparalled portrait of Cairo through the glimmer of an often overlooked and seemingly banal object, the monobloc plastic chair.
One goes to Egypt with a certain small number of single preconceptions, almost all of which are as definite as that of the pyramids. To most outsiders Egypt means as little as three or four things, though somewhere in the back of this vision is most positively not the plastic monobloc chairs of Cairo. Considering the mere fact that the monobloc is the only chair to have seated just about all Cairenes, it is well dismissed, it’s ubiquity neglected and the symbolism it embodies overlooked. To wander the hustling streets of Cairo is to embark on a non-linear excursion through the history of the Monobloc chair, one where you will certainty witness the plastic chair through its many styles and epochs. The monobloc chair being blandly practical, simple and beyond question a necessity as opposed to a frill, is amongst Cairo’s most omnipresent chairs. A deeply democratic piece of design, it is certain that you have seen at least more than one, what’s more, sat in more than one. This piece of design has appeared in virtually every corner of Cairo, it is a chair for the masses and a defining fixture of the city and its distictive character, revealing the fabric and rhythms of Cairo.
1
2
Al Helal Wel Negma, leading plastics manufacturers in Egypt. They were who introduced the monobloc chair to Egypt in the 1980s.
M A P S O F W A L K S
3
In total, I went on 14 walks around Cairo to photograph the plastic chairs of the city. I didn’t have a particular plan of the exact direction of each walk, I let my intuition be the guide. I walked where I felt like I might spot a plastic chair, most often I did. My walks varied in duration. Some lasted 4 hours, others were incorporated into my daily routine, thus it was important to always have my camera on me. I made records of the abouts of each chair on my phone or on in my notebook, then organized each chair to its location accordingly. Evidently, Maadi was where a lot of chairs were spotted, reason being that it is my neighborhood. I took different routes to discover other areas of Maadi I don’t typically go. I explored the nice areas, but I made sure I didn’t neglect the poorer areas. Reflecting back on my walks, those in Wust Al Balad would have to be my personal favorite as I was completely foreign to the area and really got to experience it through its plastic chairs.
4
I was heavily influenced by old albums, the color of the passage of time on paper. STUDIO GAMAL, LE CAIRE
5
6
Book being printing at publishing house in Cairo
I wanted my reader to wholly feel the essence of Cairo. The type of paper I used for my book was very important to me. It was clear to me from the very start that I opted for a more transparent paper, collectively it will allow for each page to peak through the other, mimicking the multi-layers of Cairo. The paper I used also employed texture, certainty because I don’t associate Cairo with flatness and nothingness, but the contrary. I didn’t t want to use white paper because if you have ever been to Cairo you would know that white paper turns beige in the matter of a few hours on the streets on the city. I want for my reader to breath in the warm dusty scent of Cairo, the dry thin air of the desert and experience the rawness of the city that endures.
7
8
BY NORAN AGEEL
SCAN QR CODE FOR THE PROCESS OF
9
10
book dimensions 16.5*23.5 cm
12 11
Due to COVID 19, you’re going to have to experience this book through the QR code below:) I enhanced the sound of flipping the pages to make you feel like its you flipping the pages;) Enjoy!
For my short film I used a SONY handheld video camera and a CANON powershot. I shot on a regular bases around Cairo. Due to legal reasons, filming in public spaces was not permitted and a license was deemed. As a result of time restrictions, applying for a license was not an option so I tried to be as cautious and attentive to my surroundings as possible. For that reason, it was challenging to pull my camera out whenever I wanted to. The general public were often unpleasant about being filmed, as one would be. Some found it difficult to grasp the objective of my project, others walked away restlessly when approached, leaving me hanging. Though, there was always those particular individuals that laughed at my fascination with their chairs, curious to learn about what they can have to offer. I had some very interesting conversations, and for the first time in a while, I walked the streets of Cairo, eyes alert and observant not distracted by a screen. I began this project
not knowing how much I would be touched by it. As silly as it is to dwell over plastic chairs, I have instilled the habit to raise my voice a notch higher when a plastic chair catches my gazing eyes off guard and this film is made to do the same to you. Made in the attitude of a walk, one where you will stumble across a few of Cairo’s many plastic chairs. If you ever get the chance to visit Cairo, this is a reminder to not overlook its street chairs. storyboard
I pinned a single screenshot from each of the clips I wanted to include in my video and placed them in the order of editing. By grouping (a-e) the principle elements of the film, e.g. e- transition scenes, I can make better sense of the rhythm of the film. Where it lacks, and where it doesn’t flow. I began with my film being 10 minutes, then kept cutting it down to what made most sense, visually and in terms of its meaning. I didn’t want it to be exhausting, but instead convey the essence of hustle, like Cairo.
13
14
15
...the growing network of plastic chairs around Cairo has created some kind of invisible thread of the city, in which each chair acts as an essential connecting dot, part of a greater ensemble, Cairo.
16