Photography: In Cairo, a new history of the archive

A growing number of artists are turning to personal archives, incorporating family albums, amateur photographs, and press clippings into their creative projects. This trend signifies a deeper engagement with memory and history, as artists seek to give new life to these often-overlooked photographic vestiges.

The practice is described as both political and memorial. By collecting and recontextualizing these images, artists can challenge dominant narratives, reclaim personal histories, and reflect on the passage of time. The act of preservation itself becomes a political statement, asserting the importance of individual and collective memory in the face of erasure or distortion.

These collected images, whether faded family portraits or forgotten newsprint, become raw material for artistic exploration. They offer a tangible connection to the past, allowing artists to weave personal stories into broader social and historical tapestries. The resulting artworks invite viewers to contemplate the nature of memory, identity, and the enduring power of the photographic image.