Streets do not always linger in our memory, but when they do, they bring everything with them – every feeling and every moment. They remind us of how we felt walking through them, of the people we shared those streets with, and sometimes, they bring back a time we can never revisit. They evoke the rituals of a bygone generation and a history that is not found in books, but lives on in the hearts of those who lived it. From our grandparents to our parents’ childhoods, the streets remind us of the countless ways our families and ancestors once breathed, felt, and experienced life, even in the simplest moments, like sitting in a chair and taking in their surroundings. Though these chairs might appear insignificant, for Egyptian photographer and visual artist Aïda Amer, they hold their own stories. Raised between the United States and Egypt, her photography explores the space between Eastern and Western cultures, seeking to capture the fading memories of past eras and forgotten streets. In her 2021 photography project, Chairs of Zamalek (2021), Amer explores the patterns that define the spaces of Cairo’s streets, with a…
