In a Furnished Flat in Cairo

The domestic dwelling is the ultimate private space. In Egypt, social norms stress on the notion of the home as the sanctuary of its inhabitants. Furthermore, religious doctrine regulates access to private spaces and discourages people from discussing their private affairs with others. In such a context one can see why the use of the private space as the substance for artistic work is limited. Despite this, Egyptian television provides its viewers with varied depictions of homes in the form of rigid constructed sets which tend not to alter greatly from one production to the next, leaving the viewer with a class-based categorization of domestic dwellings. It is also not uncommon in popular areas of the city and in the countryside to be invited into someone’s home with very little prior acquaintance.

The search for a furnished flat in Cairo involves peering into what on the surface appear to be private domestic spaces. Constructed from a mishmash of furniture and appliances, they do not have the unity one finds in domestic spaces of a permanent >>