By Rana ElNemr
Spring 2010 | ArteZine
The “Olympic Garden” is a 7 minute long 3-channel loop of still photographs, text & sound.
Script: Channel B
Located behind ‘The Egyptian Olympic Centre’, on the amorphous line separating the upper middle class neighborhood of New Maadi and the Arab Al-Basateen informal area, ‘The Olympic Centre Garden’ has come to replace ’Al-Ahram Coop Complex’, which burned down completely in May 2007. The circumstances surrounding the fire were described then in Al-Gomhureya newspaper as ‘mysterious’. Less mysterious accounts of the story still circulate amongst the residents of the surrounding area who are fathoming the nature of the new space in transience… a front-yard, a backyard, grass to grow, image to conserve…
“The Olympic Center Mission: … was opened since 1990 for serving the Egyptian, Arabian and Foreigners Sports teams. And also for serving the neighborhood community.”
The Olympic Center Garden is designed & maintained by:
* The Egyptian Authority for Highways and Bridges
* Cairo Governorate – Albasateen and Dar Alsalam Region
* Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy: (Electric Box: ARAP – Alahram Market 3284)
Cairo Cleaning and Beautification Agency:
* the total amount of green areas in Cairo is around 300.000 feddans; this amount increases by 100.000 feddans of gardens yearly
* the number of trees in Cairo’s public streets and gardens is 2 Million. 400.000 new trees are planted yearly
* the number of palm-trees is 8350 “fructuous palm trees” in Cairo’s streets and gardens
* the number of lampposts in Cairo is 2.5Million lampposts of different heights, connected by 65.000 km of cable length
Please turn on FULL SCREEN mode.
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Channel A, B & C scripts are based on & quoted from texts/ conversations with: Algomhureya Newspaper, Almasry Alyoum newspaper, The Egyptian Gazette Newspaper, the Olympic Center official website http://www.olympic-center.com, Cairo Cleaning and Beautification Agency, youtube, conversations with the garden frequenters, conversations with the surrounding area residents and employers, the Olympic Center employers and the municipality employers
The Olympic Garden © 2009 Rana ElNemr
