Presentation short abstract

A journey along the Nile led to collaborative work with Qursaya’s fishermen, artists, and researchers, reviving rituals, addressing ecological pressures, and using photography as a catalyst to explore the island as a microcosm of the Nile’s wider challenges.

Presentation long abstract

In this presentation, I trace the gradual evolution of my work around the Nile, which began with a journey from one of the river’s major sources in Ethiopia, through Sudan, and into Egypt. This trip first rooted me in the geography of the Nile, and later guided me into its layered histories, myths, and rituals from ancient Egypt.

My research eventually led me to Qursaya, a small island in the heart of Cairo, home to a community of fishermen who collaborate with the environmental initiative VeryNile to collect plastic waste from the river, now ranked among the world’s top contributors of plastic pollution to the oceans.

As fish stocks in the Nile decline, collecting plastic has become an alternative source of income for the fishermen.

This encounter opened the door to a series of collaborations at multiple levels: working with the fishermen to co-revive the ancient ritual of the Nile Parade in celebration of Nile Day; collaborating with researchers to understand environmental challenges on the island; and engaging with artists to create projects with the fishermen and their children. These layers of engagement culminated in the Nile Parade which is a collective celebration of the river. Yet the parade is not an endpoint but a beginning.

The trust built through collaborations allowed me to explore deeply the lives of families, water quality, and the island as a microcosm of the Nile’s challenges. At each stage, a single photograph acted as a catalyst, opening pathways for new research and collaboration.