Mirage Realities: An Exploration of Fata Morgana on PhMuseum

“Fata Morgana” reveals Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, showcasing its splendor and controversies through a hidden lens. It maneuvers around restrictions to examine social hierarchy and architectural brilliance, contesting traditional documentary conventions.

The New Administrative Capital, conceived on the drawing board and rising from the desert sands, aims to become Egypt’s new center of governance, designed to house approximately 6.5 million inhabitants upon the conclusion of its initial phase this year. Since its announcement in 2015, the initiative has sporadically garnered attention for its ambitious construction milestones, such as the “Iconic Tower” and a flagpole exceeding 200 meters alongside a 1000 meter high obelisk-structured building. Nonetheless, media attention has waned, partly due to escalating press limitations.

Dissenters perceive the project as a tactical shift of political authority from the chaotic streets of Cairo to a more regulated setting. Furthermore, the prohibitive expense of housing prompts inquiries regarding the intended population of the city and its feasibility.

In spite of restrictions on professional photography, I chronicled the city’s evolution over three visits, utilizing various guises, posing as an investor or architecture student to bypass limitations, while my official permit applications with a German publication received only “No responses from the superiors yet.” In my photographs, I emphasize vacant urban landscapes, blurring the distinction between actuality and conceptual blueprints. The architecture, echoing styles from ancient empires and contemporary autocracies, conjures a sense of magnificence and dominance, prioritizing vehicle transit over pedestrian access.

My visuals also investigate the city’s social stratification, establishing connections between its environments and portraits. With Fata Morgana, I aspire to present images of the New Administrative Capital that are presently unavailable and address the elements contributing to its controversies, while simultaneously examining my own methodology in documentary photography.